Industrial Roof Fall Protection
Welcome to cai safety systems.
Industrial roof fall protection. Two osha standards can apply 29 cfr 1910 which governs general industry safety standards and 29 cfr 1926 which governs construction sites specifically. Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies. The vital importance of roof fall protection the rooftop work environment requires that special safety measures be taken to prevent a dangerous fall. Employees or contractors engaged in temporary or infrequent work within 6 to 10 of an unprotected leading roof edge must have proper fall protection.
A lack of fall protection damaged fall protection equipment or improper setup will increase their risk of falling from height. 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. Osha considers a roof hatch to be a hole in a roof osha 29 cfr 1910 28 b 3. General industry osha standards require all drops greater than 4 feet to be protected by a fall protection system.
Commercial roofs call for a particular kind of roof anchor. Occupational safety and health administration osha standards. Fall protection jlc report 3 11. If the drop to the lower level is more than 4 feet there needs to be fall protection.
A common way to protect a hatch is with a roof hatch safety railing which maintains a constant protective barrier around the hatch. 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. This article focuses on roof work but fall protection is also usually needed when. Working six feet or more above lower levels put roofers at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall.
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. Fall protection requirements falls are the leading cause of work related injuries and deaths among roofers. Cai provides roof fall protection fall arrest and fall restraint at leading edges openings hatches skylights ladders. Two hundred and fifty four of the 721 deaths were caused by falls.
Roof hatch fall protection roof hatches provide roof access but they are hazardous if left unprotected. 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. 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. 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.