Osha Regulations Roof Construction

Osha requires fall protection for workers on surfaces over six feet off the ground that do not have protection along the surface edges.

Osha regulations roof construction.

Fall protection in construction osha publication 3146 2015. However in a few specifically identified circumstances low slope roof work some leading edge work precast concrete erection and residential construction due to feasibility limitations the standard permits the use of a warning line in combination with other measures as an alternative to conventional fall protection guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems or safety net systems for the purpose of keeping employees away from an edge. Reducing falls during residential construction. This includes guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems and safety nets.

Re roofing fact sheet osha fs 3503 2012 english. Osha 1910 29 b contains system requirements that employers must follow to ensure guardrail systems will protect workers from falling to lower levels. 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. Lay headers sheets of roofing or other materials no closer than 5 feet inside the edges of the roof and parallel to the roofline.

When the fall protection measures listed above are not used mark the edges of the flat roof with headers and warning lines to notify workers of potential fall hazard areas using the following guidelines. 1910 29 b 1 the top edge height of top rails or equivalent guardrail system members are 42 inches 107 cm plus or minus 3 inches 8 cm above the walking working surface. Since roofs rarely have any sort of built in protective rails employers must provide fall protection for roof workers. Protecting roofing workers osha 3755 2015 english.

Previously osha stated no safe distance when it came to working on an unprotected roof edge. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph b of this section each employee engaged in roofing activities on low slope roofs with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet 1 8 m or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems safety net systems personal fall arrest systems or a combination of warning line system and guardrail system warning line system and safety net system or warning line system and personal fall arrest system or warning line system and. However under the new rule if the distance is less than 6 feet from the roof edge conventional fall protection systems are required. Osha standards frequently cited during fy 2013 inspections of roofing contractors naics 238160 rank by number of citations issued categories standard 1 duty to have fall protection 1926 501 2 ladder safety 1926 1053 3 fall protection training requirements 1926 503 4 eye and face protection 1926 102 5 general scaffold requirements 1926 451 6 general safety and health provisions 1926 20.