2" hole need fall protection?

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# Fall Restraint - Hole Covers # When are covers used? Instead of guardrails for holes, covers may be used for fall protection. HOLE HOLE HOLE All covers must be painted a distinctive color or marked with the word HOLE or COVER. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries 8

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# Appendix B to Subpart M - Guardrail systems (cont.) ## General Requirements for Hole Covers (cont.) 5. If plywood is used to cover holes, it should be at least 3/4 inch thick. 6. Install the covers so as to eliminate any tripping hazard. Hole covers must be designed to support two times the maximum axle load of the largest vehicle expected to cross over it. Cleats may be used to prevent displacement of hole covers. If uplift can occur, wiring or nailing them down may be necessary. ## Safety Net Systems The installation of a safety net does not keep an employee from falling; rather they catch the employee after the fall. They are though, similar to guardrails and covers in the respect that these three systems are recognized as passive fall protection. In other words, they are always in place to provide fall protection. Safety nets are commonly installed in the following ways. 1. Safety nets are used during steel erection. To provide the best protection, the erector should assemble as much of the structure on the ground. Once assembled, the safety nets are installed before the section is lifted into place and secured. 2. During bridgework. Nets can be installed in the same manner as above, or in the event of reconditioning work the nets should be installed from boom lifts, man baskets or employees utilizing personal fall arrest systems. 3. During demolition or maintenance work. Safety nets can be designed to provide personal fall protection, and to collect falling debris. 4. In any event, the installation of safety nets must be done by individuals protected from the fall hazards they are exposed to during the installation. 5. Safety nets are also acceptable means of fall protection for holes, open sided floors, catch platforms and steel/concrete erection. 6. Make certain the safety net is designed for this purpose and is serviceable. 32

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# Fall Hazards at 0 Feet (cont'd) ## Holes - 0 feet - Employer must guard holes into which an employee can trip, step into, or step through by a cover of standard strength and construction or a standard guardrail system. - 4 feet - Employer must protect employees from falling into or through holes four feet or more to the ground or lower level by either a guardrail system, a cover, a warning line system or a personal fall arrest system. * Hole: - A gap or void two inches or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other surface. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries 4

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# Conventional Fall Protection Systems Key systems to be discussed within this section include: 1. Guardrail Systems 2. Hole Covers 3. Safety Nets 4. Personal Fall Arrest Systems 5. Positioning Systems 6. Personal Fall Restraint Systems Conventional fall protection systems could be broken down into two categories, active fall protection systems and passive fall protective systems. The difference between the two systems is the amount of worker involvement in determining the proper installation and use of the systems. A consideration when choosing conventional fall protection is whether the fall hazard is eliminated (fall prevention) or controlled (fall protection). A fall prevention system that limits worker involvement and eliminates the fall hazard, for example guardrails, is the preferred method for providing worker protection against falls. Conventional Fall Protection Active Passive Fall Protection Systems Fall Protection Systems • Personal Fall Arrest • Guardrail Systems* Systems • Hole Covers* • Positioning Systems · Safety Nets • Personal Fall Restraint Systems* * Eliminates fall hazards (fall prevention) 27 27 27