MODULE ONE – FALL PROTECTION
 What Causes Falls in Construction
 Duty to Have Fall Protection
 Competent Person
 Fall Protection Criteria for Commercial
Contractors
 Conventional Fall Protection Systems
 Alternative Fall Protection Systems
 Rescue Plans / Suspension Trauma
 Deteriorated Deck Replacement
•
•
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No inspection by competent person
No personal fall arrest system worn
No fall protection system in place
Harness worn but not attached to
anchor
• Loss of footing, balance, or grip
Sixty percent (60%)of all falls were
preventable by fall protection.
 Work
6 feet above lower levels to which
you could fall shall be protected by the use of
guardrail systems, safety net systems, or
personal fall arrest systems.
 Alternative fall protection systems are
available for Roofing, Leading Edge Work, &
Overhand Brick Laying.
 OSHA has separate“Residential Construction”
fall protection guidelines available in STD 30.1A

(1) "Unprotected sides and edges.“
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(2) "Leading edges."
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(3) "Hoist areas."
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(4) "Holes."
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(5) "Formwork and reinforcing steel."
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(6) "Ramps, runways, and other walkways."
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(7) "Excavations."
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(8) "Dangerous equipment."
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(9) "Overhand bricklaying and related work.“
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10) "Roofing work on Low-slope roofs."
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(11) "Steep roofs."
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(12) "Precast concrete erection."
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(13) "Residential construction."
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(14) "Wall openings."
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(15) "Walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed."
 The competent person is designated by the employer;
 The competent person must have the training,
knowledge, or experience to identify existing and/or
potential hazards; and:
 The competent person must HAVE AUTHORITY TO
TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS!
Definitions
 "Guardrail system" means a barrier
erected to prevent employees from falling
to lower levels.
 Top rail, mid-rail, and toeboard
 Top rail shall be 42" (plus or minus 3 inches)
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Must withstand 200 pounds of force outward or downward
Surfaced to prevent injury
No projection hazard at rail ends
All rails at least 1/4" thick
 Mid rail shall be ½ the distance between top rail and
working/walking surface
 Must withstand 150 pounds of force outward & downward
 May be substituted with mesh screen, balusters <19” apart
 Toe board shall be at least 3 ½” wide (2”x4”)
 Wood guardrails (2”x4”) shall have vertical supports a maximum
of eight (8) feet apart (Appendix B)
Employees working in the hoist area shall be protected by a guardrail
system or personal fall arrest system
 "Personal fall arrest system" means a
system used to arrest an employee in a fall
from a working level.
 It consists of an anchorage, connectors, a
body belt or body harness and may include
a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or
suitable combinations of these.
 The maximum allowable force applied to
the body cannot exceed 1,800 pounds
"Deceleration distance" means the additional vertical distance a falling employee
travels, excluding lifeline elongation and free fall distance, before stopping, from
the point at which the deceleration device begins to operate.
Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment shall be
independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and
capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kn.) per employee attached.
If one of these parts fails, the system fails.
– Shoulder straps
– Shoulder strap retainer
– Dee-ring
– Waist strap
– Thigh straps
– Sub-pelvic support
– Adjustment buckles
 Freefall = 6 feet maximum
 Deceleration Distance = 3.5 feet maximum
 Lifeline elongation = 2 feet maximum
 Total fall before stopping = 11.5 feet
 Portion of body landing below attachment point
approximately 5 feet minimum
 Harness effect = 1 ft.
 Total clearance below attachment point required
to avoid contacting lower level may be as great
as 16.5 feet or more!
 Support 5000 pounds of force per person
 Only one person per anchor point
 Must be installed in accordance with manufacturers
instructions.
 Substrate must be capable of supporting the intended
load.
Allows follow manufacturer’s instructions.
 The fall protection standard states: “The employer
shall provide for the prompt rescue of employees in
the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are
able to rescue themselves.
 Generally “Prompt Rescue” means within 15
minutes, starting from the time of the incident to
the time medical treatment is provided.
 Rescue Plans should be practiced: most self rescue
attempts fail, wasting several minutes before
medical rescue is contacted.
 Suspension Trauma can occur any time a person’s
legs become immobile, with the worker in the
upright position (dehydration and heat stress are
also factors)
 When blood pools in the legs, the hearts natural
reaction is to slow down, reducing the blood flow
to the brain.
 Failure to provide prompt rescue, or provide
adequate foot support, which reduces pressure
on the legs and allows blood to flow normally,
serious damage to the vital organs can occur.
 Never permit employees to work alone in a harness
 Workers should be trained to try to move their legs in
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the harness and try to push against any available
footholds.
If possible, workers should try to get horizontal (raise
the legs & lower the head)
Effectively communicate the EMS personnel the length
of the time the employee has been suspended in the
harnesses, the possibility of suspension trauma, and the
serious/fatal health effects.
Do not immediately stand fall victims up vertically,
keep them horizontal or let them sit-up slowly.
Limit up-right suspension to five minutes
Subpart M allows three alternatives for precast concrete, leading edge work, overhead
bricklaying and roofing.

Controlled
Access Zone
Warning Line
System
Safety Monitoring
System
Trades performing tasks other than the three listed above may use warning line
systems as a means of fall protection, however the warning lines must be a
minimum of 15 feet away from the unprotected edge and a de-minimus citation
can still be issued by OSHA.
 "Warning line system" means a barrier erected on a roof to warn
employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or
edge, and which designates an area in which roofing work may
take place without the use of guardrail, personal fall arrest
system, or safety net systems to protect employees in the area.
 "Safety-monitoring system" means a safety system in which a
competent person is responsible for recognizing and warning
employees working outside the warning line system of fall
hazards.
 Safety Monitors must receive specialized training, and may not
perform alternative duties that distract them from the monitoring
function.
 Warning line systems and safety monitors cannot be utilized
on steep roofs (pitch greater than 4 to 12)
 Warning lines must be six (6) feet away from the edge, and 10
feet back when mechanical equipment is in use.
4
12
Low sloped roofs rise four units or less
for every run of 12 units
Warning lines must be maintained throughout the project:
The lines must remain a minimum of six feet away from the edge
Stanchions must support 16 pounds of force without tipping over
The warning lines cannot sag below 34 inches
Materials cannot be stored outside of the warning line system
 Any hole greater than 2 inches by 2 inches
 Includes Skylights
 Roof Opening must be protected by a
guardrail system or personal fall arrest system
 Covers shall support twice the intended load
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The buddy system is another term for safety
monitor?
More than one person can connect to an roof anchor
designed for 5,000 pounds.
Full Body Harnesses come in several different sizes,
and must fit the person correctly.
Skylight domes may meet the OSHA requirement for
a hole cover?
Guardrail heights will vary when insulation is
fastened to the roof?