Industrial Roof Fall Protection

Employees or contractors engaged in temporary or infrequent work within 6 to 10 of an unprotected leading roof edge must have proper fall protection.

Industrial roof fall protection.

All systems are osha compliant and suitable for most roof types. Roofing industry fall protection from a to z worker injuries in the construction industry in 2011 the private construction industry experienced 721 fatal work injuries. This article focuses on roof work but fall protection is also usually needed when. Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies.

Commercial roofs call for a particular kind of roof anchor. With the updates to the osha 1910 standard for fall protection in 2017 there is much more clarity on what protection from falls employers are required to provide on the roofs of their building and facilities. Two hundred and fifty four of the 721 deaths were caused by falls. Surround your roof hatches with guardrails and safety gates or use a tripod fall protection system overhead to prevent accidental falls and stay compliant with osha rooftop safety standards.

Any employee working more than 6 feet above ground or above a lower level needs to be protected from falls by one of several osha approved methods see osha fall protection requirements facing page. If the drop to the lower level is more than 4 feet there needs to be fall protection. Fall protection requirements falls are the leading cause of work related injuries and deaths among roofers. Fall protection jlc report 3 11.

Working six feet or more above lower levels put roofers at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. Roof hatch fall protection roof hatches provide roof access but they are hazardous if left unprotected. General industry osha standards require all drops greater than 4 feet to be protected by a fall protection system. A common way to protect a hatch is with a roof hatch safety railing which maintains a constant protective barrier around the hatch.

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 worksite at. Falls from height are a leading cause of death in the workplace. Two osha standards can apply 29 cfr 1910 which governs general industry safety standards and 29 cfr 1926 which governs construction sites specifically. Occupational safety and health administration osha standards.

A lack of fall protection damaged fall protection equipment or improper setup will increase their risk of falling from height. If you are installing long term permanent anchor points the cb anchor posts can make great tie off connections for single user or lifeline scenarios. Osha considers a roof hatch to be a hole in a roof osha 29 cfr 1910 28 b 3. In most cases you want to use a non penetrating fall protection anchor such as a weighted anchor point or a parapet clamp.