FALL PROTECTION
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
INTRODUCTION
This training information has been prepared by the Georgia Tech Safety and Health
Consultation Program with the technical collaboration of Mr. Juán C. Rodriguez and
under the sponsorship of OSHA. Its content may be copied and distributed for free. The
Georgia Tech’s Safety and Health Consultation Program requests it be acknowledged as
the source of this information. The authors believe that all information contained in this
training is accurate; however, this is not an official OSHA publication and has not been
revised or approved by OSHA. The user should be aware that the recommendations
provided in this training do not replace any OSHA standard or regulation.
Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Georgia Tech Research Institute
260 14th Street, Fourth Floor
Atlanta, GA 30332-0837
Voice :(404) 407-7431
FAX :(404) 407-8275
Web http://www.oshainfo.gatech.edu
Georgia Tech Safety and Health
Consultation Program
SUBPART M 1926.500
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
 Effective Date: February 6th, 1995
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Duty to have fall protection
 Protection required when working at 6 feet or higher
 Walking/working surfaces shall be inspected before
employees begin work activities
 Employees shall be allowed to work only on those
surfaces which have the requisite strength to withstand
their weight
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 Strong enough surfaces
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SCOPE AND APPLICATION
 Subpart M sets forths criteria for all fall protection
hazards, except:
 Section L - Scaffolds
 Section N – Cranes and derricks
 Section R – Steel erection work in buildings
 Section S – Tunneling operations
 Section V – Electric transmission and distribution lines
 Section X – Stairways and ladders
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Fall Protection is required when…
 Unprotected (open) sides
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and edges
Leading edge work
Dangerous equipment
Overhand bricklaying
Steep-slope roofs
Residential construction
Holes
 Working/walking surfaces
 Formwork
 Excavations and wells
 Precast concrete erection
 Wall openings
 Low-steep roofs
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 Sloping roof
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 Hole
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 Covered Holes
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 Sloped Roof
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Protection from falling objects
 Each exposed employee shall wear a hard hat
 Employers must prevent objects from falling from
higher levels (which could strike employees below)
by using all necessary measures
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 Hard hats
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 Wearing hard hats
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (a) Guardrails
 Top edge height of top rails shall
 The midrail shall withstand a
be between 39" and 45"
 Midrails shall be installed
between the top edge of the
guard rail and the
walking/working surface
 Openings between rails shall
not be more than 19" apart
 The top rail edge shall
withstand a force of at least 200
pounds
force of at least 150 pounds
 Wire rope shall be flagged and
shall not deflect more than 3"
 Frequently inspect wire ropes
 No rail material smaller than
1/4" diameter shall be used
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
Guardrails
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
 Wire Rope
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 Flagged Wire Rope
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 2 x 4 Guardrails
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Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (b) Safety net systems
 Shall be installed as close as practicable , but in no case
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more than 30' (9. 1 m) below the working surface
Shall be subjected to impact force tests or certified
Without any defects
Shall be inspected weekly and after any occurrence
(impact)
Debris that have fallen into the net must be removed
before starting work
Maximum size of each mesh opening shall not be longer
than 6” and each opening will not exceed 36” square
All border rope must have a minimum breaking strength
of 5000 pounds GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (c) Personal fall arrest systems
 Effective January 1, 1998, body belts are authorized
to be used only for positioning
 Dee-rings and snaphooks shall have a minimum tensile
strength of 5,000 pounds
 Snaphooks shall be of the locking types
 Horizontal lifelines shall be installed by a qualified
person and maintain a safety factor of at least 2
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Fall protection
Chain for
positioning
 Body belts only for positioning
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Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (c) Cont..
 Lanyards and vertical lifelines shall have a minimum
breaking strength of 5,000 pounds
 A body harness shall withstand a force of 1,800 pounds
 Be mindful of the correct attachment point to the
wearer’s body, plans for prompt rescue of the employee,
and inspections of equipment prior to use
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Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (d) Positioning device systems
 Employee can not free fall more than 2' (0.61 m)
 Shall be inspected prior to each use
 Body belts and harnesses shall be used only for
employee protection
 (e) Warning lines
 Shall be erected around all sides of the roof work area
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Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
(e) Cont.
 Mechanical equipment shall be placed not less than 6'
(1.8 m) from the roof edge
 Access points shall be blocked when there is no work
 Warning lines shall be flagged with high-visibility
materials
 The lowest point of the warning line is not less than 34"
(0.9 m) and the highest point at not more than 39" (1 m)
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Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
 (f) Controlled access zones
 Used in areas where leading edges change constantly
 In areas with overhand bricklaying work at edges
 When erecting precast concrete members
 Access permitted only to trained and qualified
employees
 Written information (signs) at points of access
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 Leading edges
GA Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
Fall Protection Systems:
criteria and practices...
• (g) Safety monitoring systems
 Competent person as
 Only employees engaged in
monitor
roofing work allowed
 At same visual level of
 Employees shall follow the
that of employees
monitor’s instructions
 Close enough to
 Monitor shall not have other
communicate orally
responsibilities or functions
 Mechanical equipment
shall not be stored in the
monitoring area
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 Monitor
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 Warning line
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