Fall Protection

Options for specialty

contractors

Oregon Department of
Consumer & Business Services,
Occupational Safety & Health Division
About this publication
“Fall protection: Options for specialty contractors”
was produced by the OR-OSHA Standards and
Technical Resources section and developed by OR-
OSHA’s 502 Fall Protection Committee.
Thanks to the following individuals for offering their
time, comments, and suggestions. Special thanks to
Bob Harris and The Home Builders Association for
the donuts and for providing us a place to meet and
work on this guide.

Contributors
• Bob Harris, The Home Builders Association
• Bruce Phillips, OR-OSHA
• Dale Matlock, OR-OSHA
• Dan Freeburg, Cherry City Electric
• Darand Davies, Dallas Glass
• Dave Kaiser, National Electrical Contractors Association
• Doug Plemons, Contractors Insurance Services
• Joe Miller, Associated General Contractors
• Mike Mitchell, OR-OSHA
• Rocky Shampang, OR-OSHA
• Ron Haverkost, OR-OSHA
• Steve Hollis, McKenzie Scaffolding
• Tim Marcum, OR-OSHA
• Peggy Munsell, OR-OSHA
Editing and proofing:
Lisa Morawski, DCBS Communications

Layout and design:

Patricia Young, OR-OSHA

Questions or comments?
We’d like to hear from you. Contact: Ellis Brasch,
OR-OSHA (503) 947-7399, ellis.k.brasch@state.or.us.
 Contents
Fall Protection —
Problems for specialty contractors? . . . . . . . 2

When must employees

be protected from falls? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

How to control fall hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Using alternative methods

to prevent falls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fall protection options

for specialty contractors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Be aware of
fall hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . center fold-out

Frequent questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Important rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Important terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fall protection —
Problems for
specialty contractors?
Most contractors know that framers and roofers
need to be protected from falls, but what about other
construction tradespeople who begin their work after
the framing is done, the walls are up, and the floors
are established? Consider these examples:
• Painters have to carry materials while climbing
ladders and scaffolds but they must also use their
hands to climb.
• Glaziers and skylight installers need to move
heavy materials up sloped roofs but they also
need to avoid falling when they are handling the
materials.
• Insulation workers must avoid falling through
ceiling joists while applying insulation in attics.
• Drywall installers need to take down guardrails
to hang sheetrock but are exposed to fall hazards
without them.
What can you do to protect employees from
falls? In this guide, you’ll learn that most fall protec-
tion problems can be solved by carefully planning
the project, training employees to work safely,
enforcing safe practices, and using fall-protection
methods that are appropriate for the job.


Framers and roofers aren’t the only
construction tradespeople who need to be
protected from falls. Other workers who must
think about fall protection:
• Carpet installers
• Communications workers
• Drywall installers
• Electricians
• Glaziers
• Gutter installers
• HVAC installers
• Insulation workers
• Landscapers
• Masons
• Painters
• Plumbers
• Satellite dish installers
• Sheet metal workers
• Siders
• Tile and stone workers


When must employees be
protected from falls?
Generally, employees must be protected from falls
of 10 feet or more to a lower level. The exceptions?
Employees must be protected from falls of 6 feet or
more if they’re exposed to the following:
• Holes and skylights in walking/working surfaces
• Wall openings and windows where the sill height
is less than 39 inches above the floor
• Established floors, mezzanines, balconies, and
walkways that have unprotected sides and edges
• Excavations with edges that are not readily seen
because of plant growth or other visual barriers
• Wells, pits, shafts, and similar excavations
Employers: Your duty to protect your employees
goes beyond OR-OSHA’s fall-protection require-
ments for the construction industry (in Subdivision
3/M of OR-OSHA’s safety and health standards).
If you can’t protect your employees with one of
the fall-protection systems or methods described in
Subdivision 3/M, you must protect them with
another method.


 How to control fall hazards
A fall hazard is an unprotected, elevated walking/
working surface. You can control most fall hazards
by planning your job carefully, training employees
how to work safely, and enforcing safe practices
with on-the-job supervision.

Plan the job carefully

Planning is the first step in controlling fall hazards.
Think about hazards your employees will encounter
and what you can do to keep them safe before you
begin a project. You’re more likely to use fall-pro-
tection methods that enhance the work rather than
interfere with it when you identify fall hazards dur-
ing the planning stage.

Examples of fall hazards

• An electrician trips and falls over the
edge of an unprotected balcony.

• A satellite dish installer slips and falls

over the edge of a sloped roof.

• A drywall installer carrying a drywall

panel steps into an unguarded floor
opening.


Consider factors such as the following to help
you plan your job at the site:
• Which areas of the project are most likely to have
fall hazards?
• What tasks could expose employees to fall
hazards?
• Are walking/working surfaces structurally sound
and stable?
• How many employees could be exposed to fall
hazards?
• How often will employees do tasks that expose
them to falls?
• How will employees access and move about the
structure to do their jobs? Will they move hori-
zontally, vertically, or in both directions?
• Do existing guardrails and covers for holes meet
Subdivision 3/M requirements?
• Are there existing anchorages for personal fall
arrest systems that meet Subdivision 3/M require-
ments?
• Do employees know how to use ladders properly?
• Will guardrails or other fall-protection systems
be removed so that other contractors’ employees
can do their jobs? Who is responsible for ensuring
that fall-protection equipment is replaced?
With adequate planning and the right equipment, a
physical means of protecting employees from falls
is usually possible. A physical
means of fall protection will
not allow an employee to fall
or will prevent the employee
from hitting the ground or a
lower level if a fall occurs;
examples include guardrails,
personal fall-arrest and re-
straint systems, scaffolds, and
aerial lifts.

Train employees to work safely
You can’t assume your employees know how to
protect themselves from falls. They may not be
familiar with fall hazards at a new job site or know
how to protect themselves until you train them.
Regardless of the fall-protection system or method
you use, you must ensure that they know how to
recognize fall
hazards and
follow safe
work practices.
Employees must
be trained before
they begin
tasks that could
expose them
to fall hazards
and before they
use fall-protec-
tion systems or
methods.

You must document in writing that employees have

been trained and that they know what fall-protec-
tion systems or methods to use, how to use them,
and when to use them regardless of their experience.
Include their names, training dates, and the trainer’s
signature.

Employees must be retrained for any of the

following reasons:
• They don’t recognize fall hazards.
• They don’t understand the procedures that control
the hazards.
• Changes in the workplace or the fall-protection
systems or methods make previous training
obsolete.

Enforce safe practices with on-the-job
supervision
Effective supervisors know how to motivate employ-
ees and, when discipline is neccessary, they know
how to apply it fairly.

Essential tasks for supervisors

• Verify that employees have been trained and can
perform their work safely.
• Review the safety performance of each employee
periodically.
• Instruct, retrain, or discipline employees who
work unsafely.
• Closely supervise new employees after they have
been trained.
• Require employees to demonstrate they can work
safely before permitting them to work indepen-
dently.


 Using alternative
methods to prevent falls
Always plan to eliminate or control fall hazards with
a physical means of fall protection — one that will
not allow an employee to fall or will prevent the
employee from hitting the ground or a lower level if
a fall occurs. When a physical means of protecting
employees from falls is infeasible or would create a
greater hazard, you must develop alternative meth-
ods to minimize the risk of falling.
• A qualified person must determine the worksite-
specific circumstances that prevent a physical
means of protecting employees and develop the
alternative methods that minimize the risk of a
fall.
• A competent person must supervise employees
who will use the alternative methods.
• Alternative methods must reduce the risk of
falling.
• Alternative methods must be incorporated into the
work process so that employees can do their jobs
with minimum exposure to fall hazards.


When to use alternative methods
The bottom line: The alternative methods you use
must reduce the risk of falling to the lowest extent
possible. Use alternative methods only when a quali-
fied person has determined that a physical means
of protecting employees from falls is infeasible
or would create a hazard greater than the existing
hazard.
• Using alternative methods because of poor plan-
ning is not acceptable. If you plan your project
carefully, you can protect employees from most
fall hazards.
• You must be able to explain why your alternative
methods are more appropriate for protecting em-
ployees than a physical means of fall protection.
• If you think that you can’t provide a physical
means of protecting employees from falls, call
your local OR-OSHA office to determine if alter-
native methods are appropriate.

10
 Fall protection options
for specialty contractors
Working on the roof
Identify
hazards before
you begin the
project. Will
other trades-
people be
working on Photo credit: Level Rite LLC
the roof? How
steep is the roof? What’s the composition of the roof
material? How will employees get on the roof? Do
they need to handle heavy materials? How long will
they be working on the roof? How close to the roof
edge will they be working?
Fall protection options
• Personal fall- Useful accessories
arrest systems Roof anchor devices: There are manufac-
and fall-restraint turers and distributors of devices that
easily attach to the rungs of a ladder and
systems: Options
secure the ladder to the apex of a roof.
when permanent These devices make it easier to climb
anchors are avail- and work on a sloped roof.
able or temporary
anchors can be
installed.
• Guardrail
systems:
Can be attached Photo credit: Level Rite LLC
to the edge or sur- Traction shoes: Wear traction shoes to
face of the roof, ensure a firm grip on sloped
or held in place roofs. Shoes and
by a weighted strap-on soles
are available
counter-balance for metal,
system. shake, or
shingle roofs.
Photo credit: Korkers Footwear Inc.

11
• Scaffolding: Can be erected at the edge of the
roof or as a “catch platform.” Catch platforms
must have a standard guardrail and toeboard and
extend at least 2 feet past the eave overhang; the
guardrail must extend substantially above the
slope plane of the roof and prevent a person from
passing over or through the rails.
• Aerial lifts: Useful on stable, level terrain. With
appropriate training, a worker can use an aerial
lift to access hard-to-reach areas near the eave of
a roof.
• Slide guards: Can be used only on roofs with
slopes between 3:12 and 8:12 and ground-to-
eave height of 25 feet or less. Roofs with slopes
between 3:12 and 6:12 must have at least one
slide guard below the work area, no closer than 6
inches from the eave. Roofs with slopes between
6:12 and 8:12 must have multiple slide guards no
more than 8 feet apart vertically. The lowest slide
guard must be no closer than 6 inches from the
eave.

12
Working in attics
The problem: Trying to move through a cramped
attic to do a job while avoiding falling through the
joists. Tight spaces can make it difficult to use a
physical means of fall protection. Consider alterna-
tive methods only
when a physical
means of protect-
ing employees
from falls is in-
feasible or would
create a greater
hazard than other
options.

Fall protection options

• Safety nets: May be an option for some applica-
tions.
• Scaffolds: Erect stationary or mobile scaffold
platforms under the work area.
• Aerial lifts: May be an option when there is a
stable surface for the lift and adequate clearance
below the attic.
• Fall-arrest/restraint systems: Use only if appro-
piate anchorages are available

13
Working on established floors
Employees must be protected from uncovered floor
holes and the unprotected edges of mezzanines, bal-
conies, and walk-
ways. Floor holes
and edges can
pose unexpected
hazards for others
when existing
covers or guard-
rails are removed
and not replaced.
Remember that Use guardrails or covers to prevent workers
employees must from falling through floor holes.
be protected from these hazards when they are 6 feet
or more above a lower level. The prime contractor
is generally responsible for maintaining guardrail
systems. All employers are responsible for ensuring
that their employees are protected from falls.

Fall protection options

Guardrail systems: Guardrails are the most effec-
tive method for protecting employees. Use tempo-
rary guardrails until permanent guardrails can be
installed. Reusable, temporary guardrail systems
make it easy to construct freestanding railings for

Temporary
guardrail
systems make
it easy to
protect
workers.

Photo credit: Scott Collins,Time Frame Inc.

14
stairways, ramps, walkways, and balconies. When
workers need to remove guardrails temporarily, they
must use another fall-protection system or method
until the guardrails are replaced.

Access to work areas

Workers often use access ramps, runways, and lad-
ders without thinking about them, but they account
for a large proportion of fall-related injuries at job
sites. For example, falls from ladders account for
nearly 30 percent of disabling injuries among con-
struction workers, the highest percentage of fall-re-
lated injuries in the industry.

Ramps and walkways: Ramps and walkways

must be at least 18 inches wide and support at least
four times the maximum intended load. The maxi-
mum slope cannot exceed 1 vertical foot for every
3 horizontal feet. Ramps and walkways that exceed
1 vertical foot for every 8 horizontal feet must have
cleats not more than 14 inches apart. Access ramps 6
feet or more above a lower level must have guard-
rails.

Ladders: Most ladder accidents happen because

workers don’t set them up correctly. Make sure the
ladder is stable and set up at the proper angle. Place
straight ladders so the working length of the lad-
der is four times the horizontal distance from the
ladder’s base to the structure. Never use a stepladder
that is folded and leaning against a structure.

Avoid using ladders to position heavy objects.

Standing on a ladder while pulling or pushing a
sheet of plywood or floor beam can cause the ladder
to slide and become unstable. Employees must also
be trained to recognize ladder hazards and minimize
them.

15
Stairways: Stairways that have four or more risers
or that rise more than 30 inches, whichever is less,
must have at least one handrail and one stairrail
system along each unprotected side or edge.

A “stairrail system” is
a vertical barrier erected
along the unprotected
sides and edges of a
stairway to prevent
employees from falling.
The top surface of a
stairrail system may
also be a handrail.

Photo credit: Safety Maker Inc.

Temporary railings are easy to install
and remove.

16
 Frequent questions
How close to the edge of a deck or floor can
employees work before fall protection is
required?
The distance must eliminate the potential
for an employee to stumble and fall over the
unprotected edge. Consider factors such as
the following: Is the walking/working surface
sloped, uneven, or slippery? Are there tripping
hazards? Is there wind, ice, snow, or rain?
Could pulling, pushing, or carrying material
cause employees to lose their balance? Are
employees working from ladders placed next to
the edge? Will employees be walking parallel
or perpendicular to an unprotected edge? Could
they stumble and fall over the edge? Employers
need to evaluate all relevant factors to determine
a safe working distance.

Can tradespeople other than roofers use

colored ribbon or flagged rope to identify
safe work areas when they’re working on a
roof?
Other tradespeople can use colored ribbon or
flagged rope to identify a safe work area but
it must be far enough away from the edge of
the roof so that it is physically impossible for a
worker to trip or stumble over an unprotected
edge.

17
Frequent questions (continued)
Which trigger height for fall protection
applies when tradespeople other than
roofers are working on a roof? Six feet or
10 feet?
The 10-foot trigger height for fall protection
applies to elevated surfaces not designed for
regular use as walking/working surfaces, such
as roofs. The 6-foot trigger height applies when
there is exposure to:
• Holes in floors or roofs
• Wall openings
• Unprotected edges of established floors,
mezzanines, balconies, and walkways
• The edges of an excavation 6 feet or more
in depth

18
 Important rules
Fall protection: Subdivision 3/M
• 1926.501, Duty to have fall protection
• 437-003-1501, General fall protection
• 1926.502, Fall protection systems criteria and
practices
• 437-003-0503, Training requirements
Scaffolding: Subdivision 3/L
• 1926.451, General requirements
• 1926.452, Requirements applicable to specific
types of scaffolds
• 1926.453, Aerial lifts
• 437-003-0071, Manually propelled elevating
aerial platforms
• 437-003-0073, Boom supported elevating work
platforms
• 437-003-0074, Scissor Lifts — Self-propelled
elevating work platforms
• 1926.454, Training requirements
Stairways and ladders: Subdivision 3/X
• 1926.1051, General requirements
• 1926.1052, Stairways
• 1926.1053, Ladders
• 437-003-0065, Extension ladders
• 1926.1060, Training requirements

19
Important terms
Alternative methods — Methods developed by a
qualified person that minimize the risk of falling.
All procedures, tasks, and positioning of em-
ployees must ensure that the work is done with
minimum exposure to fall hazards. Alternative
methods can only be used after a qualified person
has determined that providing a physical means
of fall protection is infeasible or would create a
greater hazard.
Competent person — One who is capable of
identifying existing and predictable hazards in
employees’ surroundings or working conditions
and who has authorization to take prompt correc-
tive measures to eliminate the hazards.
Established floor — Any floor in a building on
which exterior walls have been erected.
Fall hazard — An unprotected, elevated walking/
working surface. Fall hazards are foreseeable.
You can identify them and eliminate or control
them before they cause injuries.
Hole — A gap or void 2 inches or more in its
smallest dimension in a floor, roof, or other
walking/working surface.
Greater hazard — When the installation or use
of a physical means of fall protection creates a
more severe hazard than that to which employees
performing the work would otherwise be exposed.
Infeasible — Technologically impossible to provide
a physical means of protecting employees from
falls or when doing so would prevent the perfor-
mance of the work.
Opening — A gap or void 30 or more inches high
and 18 or more inches wide in a wall or partition.

20
Physical means of fall protection — A fall-pro-
tection system or method that will not allow an
employee to fall or will prevent the employee
from hitting the ground or lower level.
Qualified person — One who has successfully
demonstrated his or her ability to solve or resolve
problems relating to the subject matter, work, or
project by earning a recognized degree, certifi-
cate, or professional standing, or having extensive
knowledge, training, and experience.

21
Notes

22
Notes

23
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services to employers and employees:
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est you. (All phone numbers are voice and TTY.)

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Consultation: (541) 276-2353
 

440-2824Ce (6/06) OR-OSHA

BE AWARE OF FALL HAZARDS!
A fall hazard is an unprotected, elevated walking/working
HOLES AND
surface.You can control most fall hazards by planning your
SKYLIGHTS
job carefully, training employees how to work safely, and ATTIC
enforcing safe practices with on-the-job supervision. FLOOR HOLE

WALL ROOF
OPENINGS

ACCESS

ESTABLISHED FLOORS
that have unprotected sides and edges
PLANS EXCAVATIONS
If you plan your project carefully, LEADING EDGE WORK
you can protect employees from
most fall hazards.

Illustration credit: Adapted from original material produced by Werner Co.