FALL PROTECTION: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS STANDARD (OSHA 1926.501)
Requires fall protection at specific elevations for different industries:
- Four feet for general industry workplaces
- Five feet for shipyards
- Six feet for the construction industry
- Eight feet for longshoring operations
- Any fall distance for work over dangerous equipment and machinery
To prevent employees from falling, employers must:
- Guard every floor opening that a worker can accidentally fall into (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover)
- Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform (floor or runway)
- Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous equipment or machinery (such as a vat, acid, or conveyor belt), employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards
- Other fall protection equipment that is required for specific jobs include harnesses, safety lines, safety nets, stair railings, and handrails
OSHA requires employers to:
- Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers
- Keep work area floors clean and as dry as possible
- Provide required fall protection equipment at no cost to workers
- Train workers on job hazards in a language they can understand
OSHA provides a no-cost, confidential consultation program for small to medium businesses to provide guidance on hazard identification, standard compliance, and safety plan implementation or improvement. FPS has a team of Fall Protection Specialists who can help you identify fall hazards and provide and install OSHA compliant solutions.
