Fall Protection for

Construction - Class #5

This material was produced under grant number SH-22224-11-60-F-18

from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention trade
names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by
the U.S. Government.
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Fall Protection

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 Falls in Construction

 Falls are the leading cause of deaths in the construction

industry.

 Most fatalities occur when employees fall from open-

sided floors and through floor openings.

 Falls from as little as 4 to 6 feet can cause serious lost-

time accidents and sometimes death.

 Open-sided floors and platforms 6 feet or more in height

must be guarded.

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 Fall Protection
This presentation will discuss:
 The working conditions that prompt use of fall protection
 Options that are available to protect workers from falls

At the end of this topic, you will be able to:

 List at least four methods of fall protection available for
protecting workers
 State the main criteria that prompts use of fall protection for
construction workers

Group Activity
Find the locations in the 1926 OSHA standards that require the use
of fall protection

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 Fall Protection Options

Guardrails

Personal Fall
Arrest System Safety Net
(PFAS)

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 Fall Protection Planning

Lanyards and PFAS in use

Fall protection systems and work practices must be in place before you start work.

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 Personal Fall Arrest Systems

 You must be trained how to properly

use PFAS.
 PFAS = anchorage, lifeline and body
harness.

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Safety Line Anchorages
Must be independent of
any platform anchorage
and capable of
supporting at least 5,000
lbs. per worker

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 Guardrails

Top Rail
Mid- Rail
Toeboard

 Top rails between 39 and 45 inches tall

 Toe boards at least 3 1/2 inches high

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 Safety Nets

Place as close as possible, but no more than 30 feet below where

employees work
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 When Fall Protection is Needed

 Walkways & ramps  Roofs

 Open sides & edges  Wall openings
 Holes  Bricklaying
 Concrete forms &  Residential
rebar Construction
 Excavations

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 Walkways and Ramps

Guard ramps, runways, and other walkways

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 Fall Protection -
Residential Construction

In residential construction, you must be protected if you can fall more than 6 feet
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 Unprotected Sides & Edges

Unprotected edge
Unprotected sides and edges must have guardrails or equivalent

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Sides & Edges - Improper Guarding

This 1/4" nylon rope alone is not a proper way to guard this open floor
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 Sky Lights and Other Openings

 Holes more than 6 feet high must be protected

 This opening could be made safe by using a guardrail, or strong cover 16
 Floor Holes

Improperly
Covered
 Cover completely and securely
 If no cover, can guard with a guardrail 17
 Concrete Forms and Rebar

 Use PFAS when working on formwork or rebar

 Cover or cap protruding rebar 18
 Excavations
Guard excavations
more than 6 feet
deep when they are
not readily seen
because of plant
growth or other
visual barriers

In addition to needing
guarding, this excavation is
not properly shored

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 Roofs

If you work on roofs and can fall more than 6 feet, you must be protected
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 Wall Openings

Wall opening
If you work near wall openings 6 feet or more above lower levels you must be protected
from falling
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 Good Work Practices

 Perform work at ground level if possible

 Example: building prefab roofs on the ground and lifting into place
with a crane
 Tether or restrain workers so they can't reach the edge
 Designate and use safety monitors(This is less desirable of all
the systems)
 Use conventional fall protection

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 Training
Employers must provide fall protection training
The training is to teach you:
 How to recognize hazards
 How to minimize hazards

The training must cover:

 Fall hazards
 Fall protection systems
 Use of fall protection devices

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 Summary
 If you can fall more than 6 feet, you must be protected

 Use fall protection on:

 walkways & ramps, open sides & edges, holes,
concrete forms & rebar, excavations, roofs, wall
openings, bricklaying, residential construction

 Protective measures include guardrails, covers, safety

nets, and Personal Fall Arrest Systems

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 Is This a Fall Hazard?

Photos in this presentation are from the OSHA Region 4 National Photo Archive and OSHA Region 5.

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 YES
Workers could
fall while Ladders
and lifts
climbing on the
must be
shoring structure provided.
to set it up and
remove it.

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Any Fall Hazard Here?

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 YES
Workers are exposed
to a fall hazard greater
than 6 feet, while
working near stairwell
opening.

Workers
must be
protected
from falls
over 6 feet.
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Is This a Fall Hazard?

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 YES
Unprotected open-sided
floors 6 feet or more above
ground level.

Guardrail
systems,
safety net
systems or
personal fall
arrest systems
are required.
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Any Fall Hazard Here?

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 YES

Workers are installing a

new metal roof without fall
protection.

NOTE: Remember that ladders must extend 3 feet above the landing area.

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Is This a Fall Hazard?

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 YES
The photo shows
This could
a mid-rail and expose
toeboard are workers to
missing on an a 12 foot
open-sided floor fall.
of a building.

Toeboards are
required to
protect workers
below from
falling objects.

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Can You Identify the Fall Hazard?

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 YES
Lack of fall Planks appear to
protection for be overloaded
workers on and there is no
fabricated frame safe access for
scaffolds. workers.

The workers are

exposed to a 35-
foot fall hazard
from a scaffold
while stacking
blocks prior to
overhand
bricklaying
operations.

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Can You Identify the Fall Hazard?

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 YES
It must
extend 3
feet above
the
working
Ladder to work surface.
platform is not of
sufficient length.

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Is This a Fall Hazard?

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 YES
The top of a
stepladder
shall not be
used as a
step.
Worker is
working off of the
top of a step
ladder.

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Can You Identify the Fall Hazards?

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 YES
A worker is
working from a
carpenters' The worker inside of
scaffold that has the window is not
no guardrail, provided with fall
extends too far protection as there is
beyond either no standard guardrail
end, and is not for the window.
wide enough.

The worker also does not The worker working below is exposed to
have proper access to the the struck-by hazards of tools and
scaffold. equipment falling from the employees
working above.

NOTE: A competent person must supervise as scaffolds are erected, moved and taken apart. 42
Any Fall Hazard Here?

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 YES

Workers working on
balcony of structure
exposed to fall
hazard due to
unprotected
side/edge.
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Is This a Fall Hazard?

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 YES
Worker working on an
8:12 pitch roof with
only the lifeline tied to
his waist as fall
protection.

Employer
must
provide
full body
harnesses.

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Is This a Fall Hazard?

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 YES
Scaffold was not
erected with guardrails
in areas where
workers were working
at heights greater than
10 feet.

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Stairways and Ladders

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 OSHA Course Objectives
1. Name the three types of hazards that are predominant when using
stairs or ladders at a construction site.
2. List or describe at least four safety guidelines or requirements that
reduce or eliminate slipping, tripping or falling hazards on stairs in use
at a construction site.
3. List or describe at least four safety practices or requirements that
reduce or eliminate slipping, tripping or falling hazards when ladders
are in use at a construction site.

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 Hazards
 Stairways and ladders
cause many injuries
and fatalities among
construction workers
 About half the injuries
caused by slips, trips
and falls from ladders
and stairways require
time off the job

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 Stairway or Ladder
There must be a stairway or ladder at points of access where
there is an elevation break of 19 inches or more.

At least one point of access must be kept clear.

Break in elevation

19 inches

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Handrail vs. Stairrail

Stairrail Handrail
System

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Handrail and Top Rail Strength
Rails must be able to
withstand a force of 200
pounds in all directions

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 Stairrails
Stairways with four or more risers or more than 30 inches high must
have a stairrail along each unprotected side or edge.

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 Stairs
• Installed between 30 and 50 degrees.

• Must have uniform riser height and tread depth, with less than a 1/4-
inch variation.

No more than 1/4 inch

variation in any stairway system

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 Temporary Stairways
Stair pans must be have filler material at least to the top edge of each pan.

Pan

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 Stairway Landings
Stairways landings must be
at least 30 inches deep and
22 inches wide at every 12 Landing
feet or less of vertical rise

Unprotected sides of
landings must have standard
42 inch guardrail systems

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 Platforms and Swing Doors
Where doors or gates open directly on a stairway, provide a platform that
extends at least 20 inches beyond the swing of the door.

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Dangerous Conditions
Fix slippery conditions before
using.

Stairway parts must be free of

projections which may cause
injuries or snag clothing.

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Ladders

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 General Ladder Requirements
Ladders must be kept in a safe
condition

-- DO –
Keep the area around the top and
bottom of a ladder clear

Ensure rungs, cleats, and steps

are level and uniformly spaced

Ensure rungs are spaced 10 to 14

inches apart

Keep ladders free from slipping

hazards

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 General Ladder Requirements
Use ladders only for their designed
purpose

-- DON’T –
Tie ladders together to make longer
sections, unless designed for such
use

Use single rail ladders

Load ladders beyond the maximum

load for which they were built, nor
beyond the manufacturer’s rated
capacity

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 Securing Ladders
 Secure ladders to prevent
accidental movement due to
workplace activity

 Only use ladders on stable

and level surfaces, unless
secured

 Do not use ladders on slippery

surfaces unless secured or
provided with slip-resistant
feet

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 Portable Ladders
• Inspect before use
for cracks, dents,
and missing rungs

• Design or treat
rungs to minimize
slipping

• Side rails -- at least

11 1/2 inches apart

• Must support 4
times the maximum
load

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 Double - Cleated Ladder
Use a double-cleated ladder ( with center rail) or 2 or more
ladders:
• when ladders are the
only way to enter or exit
a working area with 25 or
more employees

• when a ladder will serve

simultaneous two-way
traffic

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 Painting Wood Ladders
• Don’t paint ladders

• Don’t use an opaque covering (like

varnish) on a wood ladder

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 Ladder Angle
 Non-self-supporting ladders: (which lean against a wall or other support)
 Position at an angle where the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of
the ladder is 1/4 the working length of the ladder

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 Ladder Rail Extension
When using a portable ladder for access to an upper landing surface, the
side rails must extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface

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 Near Energized Electrical Equipment
If using ladders where the employee or the ladder could contact exposed
energized electrical equipment, they must have nonconductive siderails
such as wood or fiberglass.

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 Top Step
Do not use the top or top step of a stepladder

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 Damaged or Defective Ladders
A Competent Person must inspect
ladders for visible defects, like broken
or missing rungs

If a defective ladder is found,

immediately mark it defective or tag it
"Do Not Use”

Remove defective ladders from

service until repaired

Missing rung

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 Climbing the Ladder
• Face the ladder when going up
or down

• Use at least one hand to grab

the ladder when going up or
down

• Do not carry any object or load

that could cause you to lose
balance

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Ladder Applications

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Ladder Applications

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Ladder Applications

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Ladder Applications

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 OSHA Training Requirements
Training Requirements 1926.1060(a)(i) through (v) and (b)
The employer shall provide a training program for each employee using ladders and
stairways, as necessary. The program shall enable each employee to recognize hazards
related to ladders and stairways, and shall train each employee in the procedures to be
followed to minimize these hazards.
The employer shall ensure that each employee has been trained by a competent person in
the following areas, as applicable:

1. The nature of fall hazards in the work area;

2. The correct procedures for erecting, maintaining, and disassembling the fall protection
systems to be used;
3. The proper construction, use, placement, and care in handling of all stairways and
ladders;

4. The maximum intended load carrying capacities of ladders used; and

5. The standards contained in this subpart.

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 OSHA Course Review
1. Name the three types of hazards that are predominant when using stairs or ladders at a
construction site. Possible responses.
 Trips, Slips and Falls

2. List or describe at least four safety guidelines or requirements that reduce or eliminate
slipping, tripping or falling hazards on stairs in use at a construction site.
 Install handrails that are at least 3” from the wall or other objects and can withstand a force of
200 pounds at the top of the rail.
 Install handrails on stairways of 4 or more steps, and stair rails when there is a fall hazard of 6
feet or more.
 The overall angle of the stairs should be between 30 and 50 degrees.
 Stairs should have uniform riser height and tread depth variation of less than ¼ “.
 Fill temporary pan stairs to the top edge of each pan, and replace temporary treads and
landings when worn below the top edge.
 Stairway landings must be 30” deep and 22”wide at every 12” or less of vertical rise.
 Where doors or gates open directly on a stairway, provide a platform that extends at least 20”
beyond the swing of the gate.
 Fix slippery conditions before using stairs.
 Ensure stairway parts are free of projections that may cause injury or snag clothing.

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 OSHA Course Review
3. List or describe at least four safety practices or requirements that reduce or eliminate
slipping, tripping or falling hazards when ladders are in use at a construction site.
 Keep the area around the top and bottom of the ladder clear.
 Ensure rungs, cleats and steps are level and uniformly spaced.
 Keep ladders free from slipping hazards.
 Use ladders for the purpose for which they were designed.
 Don’t load ladders beyond their maximum intended load.
 Secure ladders to prevent accidental movement, use on level surfaces, and barricade to
keep traffic away.
 Be sure ladders are used at the correct angle.

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Key Components for Ladder Safety Summary
• A Competent Person must inspect
• Use the correct ladder for the job
• Use the correct angle, supports, treads, cross braces
and rails
• Don’t overload
• Your employer must train you in proper use of a ladder

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