What is the height requirement for fall protection

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# Guardrail Systems Guardrails are one of the most common forms of fall protection seen on the construction site. The OSHA standard requires that guarding or some form of fall protection must be provided when an employee is exposed to a fall of 6 feet or more. The following areas lend themselves to the installation of guardrail systems for fall prevention. 1. Along the edge of all open sided floors or edges where a fall exposure exists. 2. On work platforms where a fall exposure exists. 3. On stair systems. 4. Around floor and roof openings. 5. Around holes too large to place covers over. 6. Around the exterior of a roof during roofing work. 7. On articulating/elevating work platforms. 8. Near window openings where the sill is lower than 39 inches. 9. In an area/edge where a possible fall would allow an employee to strike dangerous equipment or material, regardless of the fall distance. 10. On access ways, ramps or catwalks where there is a fall exposure. 11. Parapets less than 39" in height. ## General Requirements of Guardrail Systems • The top edge of the guardrail system shall be 42 inches, ±3 inches, above the walking/working surface. • Midrails must be installed between the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking/working surface. • The guardrail system must be capable of withstanding a 200-pound force applied to the top rail in an outward or downward direction. • When the 200-pound force is applied the top rail cannot deflect to a height less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface. • All midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members or panels must be able to withstand a 150-pound force in a downward or outward direction. • Where employees will be using stilts, the height of the top rail must be increased a height equal to the height Where parapet walls or windowsills do not extend at least 39 inches above the walking/working surface, precautions must be taken to ensure proper guardrails are in place. 28

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- WAC 296-880-[redacted postal code] Fall protection required regardless of height. (1) Regardless of height, the employer must guard open-sided floors, walkways, platforms, or runways above or adjacent to dangerous equip- ment, such as dip tanks and material handling equipment, and similar hazards with a standard guardrail system. (2) The 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. - Note: Requirements for protecting employees from falling into or through holes where fall hazards of four feet or more are located in WAC 296-880-[redacted postal code]. (3) Regardless of height the employer must protect employees from falling into or onto impalement hazards, such as: Reinforcing steel (rebar), exposed steel, or wood. [Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 20-12-091, § 296-880-[redacted postal code], filed 6/2/20, effective 10/1/20.] Certified on 2/20/2023 WAC 296-880-[redacted postal code] Page 1

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# When is fall protection required in construction? When workers are exposed to falls six (6) feet or higher, they must be protected from falling. Exceptions to this requirement: Fall protection is required at 6 feet or less for holes, wall openings, excavations, wells, pits, shafts and over dangerous equipment. For training purposes only Oregon OSHA PESO - FALL PROTECTION 8 Únicamente para adiestramiento Oregon OSHA PESO - PROTECCIÓN CONTRA CAÍDAS

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# Fall Protection - Legislation (cont.) ## When is fall protection required? (cont.) - working at a height of less than 3 metres when the surface below could cause a greater injury than just the fall (e.g., machinery; risk of drowning in water or other liquid; open tanks, vats, or pits containing hazardous materials; materials that can shift) - a worker may fall through an opening in the work surface - it is determined that fall protection is necessary ## What are the sources of legislation regarding fall protection? Below is a table for guidance purposes that lists the common situations where fall protection is required. NOTE that other requirements may be listed in other sections, regulations, or Acts that are not listed in this table. For more details, consult the legislation directly. Always consult the legislation that applies in your situation, and with your jurisdiction for complete information. Fall Protection - Legislation CCOHS

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# Part three - Identifying and evaluating (cont.) ## Identify fall hazards that you can eliminate. (cont.) <table><tr><th colspan="4">Table 2: Fall protection trigger heights for construction activities</th><th></th></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Unprotected walking-working surface or situation</td><td colspan="3">Trigger height</td><td rowspan="2">Rule</td></tr><tr><td>Any Height</td><td>6 feet</td><td>10 feet</td></tr><tr><td>General fall protection</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](1)</td></tr><tr><td>Holes and skylights (tripping in or stepping into or through)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](3)</td></tr><tr><td>Wall openings less than 39 inches above walking/working surface</td><td></td><td>&gt;</td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](4)</td></tr><tr><td>Excavations not readily seen</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](5)(a)</td></tr><tr><td>Edge of a well, pit, shaft, and similar excavations</td><td></td><td>&gt;</td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](5)(b)</td></tr><tr><td>Walkways over excavations</td><td></td><td>≥</td><td></td><td>1926.651(1)</td></tr><tr><td>Above dangerous equipment</td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](6)</td></tr><tr><td>Scaffolds (supported and suspended)</td><td></td><td></td><td>&gt;</td><td>1926.451(g)(1)</td></tr><tr><td>Boom supported elevating work platforms</td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>[redacted phone](2)</td></tr><tr><td>Vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1926.453(b)(2)(v)</td></tr><tr><td>Cranes (assemble, disassemble, or otherwise perform work)</td><td></td><td></td><td>&gt;</td><td>[redacted phone](2)</td></tr><tr><td>Cranes (hoisting personnel in platform, except over water))</td><td>X</td><td></td><td></td><td>1926.1431(k)(10)(i)</td></tr><tr><td>Tower cranes (erect, climb, dismantle, or otherwise perform work)</td><td></td><td></td><td>&lt;</td><td>[redacted phone](4)</td></tr><tr><td>Underground construction…

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# Fall Protection In construction, if a worker is at 6 feet or higher and the danger of falls exists, fall protection systems must be used. Exceptions to this requirement, where fall protection is required at 6 feet or less, include holes, wall openings, excavations, wells, pits, shafts and over dangerous equipment. ## There are two types of fall protection systems. The FIRST type are preferred because they prevent the worker from falling to a lower level. Examples: Guardrails and covers. The SECOND type are fall arrest systems. They don't prevent the worker from falling. They only prevent the worker from hitting a lower level after falling. ## Examples: Personal fall arrest systems and safety nets. In fall arrest, the worker could sustain injuries from the arrest forces or a swing fall. Oregon OSHA – PESO TOOLBOX SHEET For more information, call Oregon OSHA 1 (800) 922-2689 or visit osha.oregon.gov HOJA INFORMATIVA de Oregon OSHA - PESO Para mayores informes, llame a Oregon OSHA 1 (800) 843-8086 ó visite osha.oregon.gov

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Safety & Health Fact Sheet STATE OF CALIFORNIA CAL OSHA DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Cal/OSHA Publications Unit Division of Occupational Safety and Health # Fall Protection in Construction Falls are among the most common reasons for workplace injuries and fatalities in California. Falls generally occur when employees are working at an elevated height and are not adequately protected. Some examples include employees working on elevated work surfaces, ladders, stairs, scaffolds, aerial devices, roofs, bridges, trusses, beams, purlins, plates, suspended staging, catwalks and walkways. Falls in construction frequently involve slippery, cluttered, or unstable walking/working surfaces, unprotected edges, floor holes or wall openings, unsafely positioned ladders, and misuse of fall protection devices. ## Key Cal/OSHA Requirements Title 8 of California Code of Regulations (T8 CCR) specifies many requirements for fall protection in construction. Below are selected regulations that contain fall protection requirements. Refer to T8 CCR for the complete set of requirements. ## Selected T8 CCR Sections <table><tr><th>1541</th><th>Fall protection in excavation work</th></tr><tr><td>1610.7</td><td>Fall protection in cranes and derricks in construction</td></tr><tr><td>1620</td><td>Design and construction of guard rails</td></tr><tr><td>1669</td><td>General fall protection</td></tr><tr><td>1670</td><td>Personal fall arrest systems, personal fall restraint systems and positioning devices</td></tr><tr><td>1671</td><td>Safety nets</td></tr><tr><td>1671.1</td><td>Fall protection plan</td></tr><tr><td>1671.2</td><td>Controlled access zones and safety monitoring systems</td></tr><tr><td>1710</td><td>Fall protection for erection of steel structures</td></tr><tr><td>1711</td><td>Fall protection for reinforcing steel operations in concrete construction</td></tr><tr><td>1712</td><td>Fall protection for impalement hazards</td></tr><tr><td>1716.1</td><td>Fall protection in str…

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CCOHS CCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail Fall Protection # Fall Protection - Legislation ## On this page When is fall protection required? What are the sources of legislation regarding fall protection? What are the applicable standards for fall protection? Where can I find more information from CCOHS about fall protection and working at heights? ## When is fall protection required? Most jurisdictions require the use of specific fall protection measures before, or in addition to, personal protective equipment (PPE). These measures generally include the use of some of the following: - fixed barriers (e.g., handrails, guardrails) - surface opening protection (e.g., covers, guardrails, etc.) - warning barriers/control zones - fall or travel restraint systems (i.e., a system to prevent a worker from falling from a work position, or from travelling to an unguarded edge from which the worker could fall) - fall containment system (e.g., safety nets) - fall arrest systems (i.e., a system that will stop a worker's fall before the worker hits the surface below) There may also be specific legal requirements around use of equipment like ladders and scaffolding. Occupational health and safety laws generally require action when a worker has the potential to fall about 3 metres (10 feet). In most cases, fall protection is required when: other means of fall protection are not available or possible, such as guardrails - working at a height of 3 metres or more (permanent and/or temporary work areas) Fall Protection - Legislation CCOHS