Osha Roof Work Requirements

Reducing falls during residential construction.

Osha roof work requirements.

The new rule provides some clarification to this despite osha s previous stance that there is no safe distance. This includes guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems and safety nets. Supervise workers to ensure fall protection equipment is used and maintained correctly. Each employee on a walking working surface horizontal and vertical surface with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet 1 8 m or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems.

Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies. No work or work related activity is to take place in the area between the warning line and the edge. The employer effectively. Implement safe work practices to reduce the possibility of falls.

Since roofs rarely have any sort of built in protective rails employers must provide fall protection for roof workers. Previously osha stated no safe distance when it came to working on an unprotected roof edge. The warning line meets or exceeds the requirements in 1926 502 f 2. Place warning lines and headers around the entire roof perimeter.

Install warning lines no closer than 5 feet inside the roof edges and at a height of 34 to 45 inches. Lay headers sheets of roofing or other materials no closer than 5 feet inside the edges of the roof and parallel to. Understand the requirements of osha s fall protection standards at 29 cfr 1926 subpart m to protect workers exposed to falls six feet or more above a lower level. However under the new rule if the distance is less than 6 feet from the roof edge conventional fall protection systems are required.

1926 501 b 2 leading edges. Two osha standards can apply 29 cfr 1910 which governs general industry safety standards and 29 cfr 1926 which governs construction sites specifically. The osha general industry standards exclude construction as well as agriculture and marine industries which also have their own standards but both standards can sometimes apply to the same. Osha requires fall protection for workers on surfaces over six feet off the ground that do not have protection along the surface edges.

When mechanical equipment is being used the warning line shall be erected not less than 6 feet 1 8 m from the roof edge which is parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation and not less than 10 feet 3 1 m from the roof edge which is perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation. Occupational safety and health administration. A warning line is used 15 feet or more from the edge.