[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 8]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1926.502]
[Page 317-324]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1926_SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION--Table of Contents
Subpart M_Fall Protection
Sec. 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practices.
(a) General. (1) Fall protection systems required by this part shall
comply with the applicable provisions of this section.
(2) Employers shall provide and install all fall protection systems
required by this subpart for an employee, and shall comply with all
other pertinent requirements of this subpart before that employee begins
the work that necessitates the fall protection.
(b) Guardrail systems. Guardrail systems and their use shall comply
with the following provisions:
(1) Top edge height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system
members, shall be 42 inches (1.1 m) plus or minus 3 inches (8 cm) above
the walking/working level. When conditions warrant, the height of the
top edge may exceed the 45-inch height, provided the guardrail system
meets all other criteria of this paragraph.
Note: When employees are using stilts, the top edge height of the
top rail, or equivalent member, shall be increased an amount equal to
the height of the stilts.
(2) Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, or
equivalent intermediate structural members shall be installed between
the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking/working surface
when there is no wall or parapet wall at least 21 inches (53 cm) high.
(i) Midrails, when used, shall be installed at a height midway
between the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking/working
level.
(ii) Screens and mesh, when used, shall extend from the top rail to
the walking/working level and along the entire opening between top rail
supports.
(iii) Intermediate members (such as balusters), when used between
posts, shall be not more than 19 inches (48 cm) apart.
(iv) Other structural members (such as additional midrails and
architectural panels) shall be installed such that there are no openings
in the guardrail system that are more than 19 inches (.5 m) wide.
(3) Guardrail systems shall be capable of withstanding, without
failure, a force of at least 200 pounds (890 N) applied within 2 inches
(5.1 cm) of the top edge, in any outward or downward direction, at any
point along the top edge.
(4) When the 200 pound (890 N) test load specified in paragraph
(b)(3) of this section is applied in a downward direction, the top edge
of the guardrail shall not deflect to a height less than 39 inches (1.0
m) above the walking/working level. Guardrail system components selected
and constructed in accordance with the Appendix B to subpart M of this
part will be deemed to meet this requirement.
(5) Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid
panels, and equivalent structural members shall be capable of
withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 150 pounds (666 N)
applied in any downward or outward direction at any point along the
midrail or other member.
(6) Guardrail systems shall be so surfaced as to prevent injury to
an employee from punctures or lacerations, and to prevent snagging of
clothing.
(7) The ends of all top rails and midrails shall not overhang the
terminal posts, except where such overhang does not constitute a
projection hazard.
[[Page 318]]
(8) Steel banding and plastic banding shall not be used as top rails
or midrails.
(9) Top rails and midrails shall be at least one-quarter inch (0.6
cm) nominal diameter or thickness to prevent cuts and lacerations. If
wire rope is used for top rails, it shall be flagged at not more than 6-
foot (1.8 m) intervals with high-visibility material.
(10) When guardrail systems are used at hoisting areas, a chain,
gate or removable guardrail section shall be placed across the access
opening between guardrail sections when hoisting operations are not
taking place.
(11) When guardrail systems are used at holes, they shall be erected
on all unprotected sides or edges of the hole.
(12) When guardrail systems are used around holes used for the
passage of materials, the hole shall have not more than two sides
provided with removable guardrail sections to allow the passage of
materials. When the hole is not in use, it shall be closed over with a
cover, or a guardrail system shall be provided along all unprotected
sides or edges.
(13) When guardrail systems are used around holes which are used as
points of access (such as ladderways), they shall be provided with a
gate, or be so offset that a person cannot walk directly into the hole.
(14) Guardrail systems used on ramps and runways shall be erected
along each unprotected side or edge.
(15) Manila, plastic or synthetic rope being used for top rails or
midrails shall be inspected as frequently as necessary to ensure that it
continues to meet the strength requirements of paragraph (b)(3) of this
section.
(c) Safety net systems. Safety net systems and their use shall
comply with the following provisions:
(1) Safety nets shall be installed as close as practicable under the
walking/working surface on which employees are working, but in no case
more than 30 feet (9.1 m) below such level. When nets are used on
bridges, the potential fall area from the walking/working surface to the
net shall be unobstructed.
(2) Safety nets shall extend outward from the outermost projection
of the work surface as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minimum required horizontal
Vertical distance from working level to distance of outer edge of
horizontal plane of net net from the edge of the
working surface
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 5 feet.............................. 8 feet.
More than 5 feet up to 10 feet............ 10 feet.
More than 10 feet......................... 13 feet.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Safety nets shall be installed with sufficient clearance under
them to prevent contact with the surface or structures below when
subjected to an impact force equal to the drop test specified in
paragraph (c)(4) of this section.
(4) Safety nets and their installations shall be capable of
absorbing an impact force equal to that produced by the drop test
specified in paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section.
(i) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(4)(ii) of this section,
safety nets and safety net installations shall be drop-tested at the
jobsite after initial installation and before being used as a fall
protection system, whenever relocated, after major repair, and at 6-
month intervals if left in one place. The drop-test shall consist of a
400 pound (180 kg) bag of sand 30 <plus-minus<ls-thn-eq>2 inches (76
<plus-minus<ls-thn-eq>5 cm) in diameter dropped into the net from the
highest walking/working surface at which employees are exposed to fall
hazards, but not from less than 42 inches (1.1 m) above that level.
(ii) When the employer can demonstrate that it is unreasonable to
perform the drop-test required by paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section,
the employer (or a designated competent person) shall certify that the
net and net installation is in compliance with the provisions of
paragraphs (c)(3) and (c)(4)(i) of this section by preparing a
certification record prior to the net being used as a fall protection
system. The certification record must include an identification of the
net and net installation for which the certification record is being
prepared; the date that it was determined that the identified net and
net installation were in compliance with paragraph (c)(3) of this
section and the signature of the person making the determination and
certification. The most recent certification record for each net and net
installation shall be available at the jobsite for inspection.
(5) Defective nets shall not be used. Safety nets shall be inspected
at least
[[Page 319]]
once a week for wear, damage, and other deterioration. Defective
components shall be removed from service. Safety nets shall also be
inspected after any occurrence which could affect the integrity of the
safety net system.
(6) Materials, scrap pieces, equipment, and tools which have fallen
into the safety net shall be removed as soon as possible from the net
and at least before the next work shift.
(7) The maximum size of each safety net mesh opening shall not
exceed 36 square inches (230 cm \2\) nor be longer than 6 inches (15 cm)
on any side, and the opening, measured center-to-center of mesh ropes or
webbing, shall not be longer than 6 inches (15 cm). All mesh crossings
shall be secured to prevent enlargement of the mesh opening.
(8) Each safety net (or section of it) shall have a border rope for
webbing with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN).
(9) Connections between safety net panels shall be as strong as
integral net components and shall be spaced not more than 6 inches (15
cm) apart.
(d) Personal fall arrest systems. Personal fall arrest systems and
their use shall comply with the provisions set forth below. Effective
January 1, 1998, body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal
fall arrest system. Note: The use of a body belt in a positioning device
system is acceptable and is regulated under paragraph (e) of this
section.
(1) Connectors shall be drop forged, pressed or formed steel, or
made of equivalent materials.
(2) Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish, and all
surfaces and edges shall be smooth to prevent damage to interfacing
parts of the system.
(3) Dee-rings and snaphooks shall have a minimum tensile strength of
5,000 pounds (22.2 kN).
(4) Dee-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a minimum
tensile load of 3,600 pounds (16 kN) without cracking, breaking, or
taking permanent deformation.
(5) Snaphooks shall be sized to be compatible with the member to
which they are connected to prevent unintentional disengagement of the
snaphook by depression of the snaphook keeper by the connected member,
or shall be a locking type snaphook designed and used to prevent
disengagement of the snaphook by the contact of the snaphook keeper by
the connected member. Effective January 1, 1998, only locking type
snaphooks shall be used.
(6) Unless the snaphook is a locking type and designed for the
following connections, snaphooks shall not be engaged:
(i) directly to webbing, rope or wire rope;
(ii) to each other;
(iii) to a Dee-ring to which another snaphook or other connector is
attached;
(iv) to a horizontal lifeline; or
(v) to any object which is incompatibly shaped or dimensioned in
relation to the snaphook such that unintentional disengagement could
occur by the connected object being able to depress the snaphook keeper
and release itself.
(7) On suspended scaffolds or similar work platforms with horizontal
lifelines which may become vertical lifelines, the devices used to
connect to a horizontal lifeline shall be capable of locking in both
directions on the lifeline.
(8) Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used,
under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete
personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least
two.
(9) Lanyards and vertical lifelines shall have a minimum breaking
strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN).
(10) (i) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(10)(ii) of this
section, when vertical lifelines are used, each employee shall be
attached to a separate lifeline.
(ii) During the construction of elevator shafts, two employees may
be attached to the same lifeline in the hoistway, provided both
employees are working atop a false car that is equipped with guardrails;
the strength of the lifeline is 10,000 pounds [5,000 pounds per employee
attached] (44.4 kN); and all other criteria specified in this paragraph
for lifelines have been met.
(11) Lifelines shall be protected against being cut or abraded.
[[Page 320]]
(12) Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards which automatically
limit free fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less shall be capable of
sustaining a minimum tensile load of 3,000 pounds (13.3 kN) applied to
the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
(13) Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards which do not limit free
fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less, ripstitch lanyards, and
tearing and deforming lanyards shall be capable of sustaining a minimum
tensile load of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) applied to the device with the
lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
(14) Ropes and straps (webbing) used in lanyards, lifelines, and
strength components of body belts and body harnesses shall be made from
synthetic fibers.
(15) 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, or shall be designed, installed, and used as
follows:
(i) as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which
maintains a safety factor of at least two; and
(ii) under the supervision of a qualified person.
(16) Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:
(i) limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 900 pounds (4
kN) when used with a body belt;
(ii) limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8
kN) when used with a body harness;
(iii) be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more
than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor contact any lower level;
(iv) bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum
deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m); and,
(v) have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact
energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the
free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.
Note: If the personal fall arrest system meets the criteria and
protocols contained in Appendix C to subpart M, and if the system is
being used by an employee having a combined person and tool weight of
less than 310 pounds (140 kg), the system will be considered to be in
compliance with the provisions of paragraph (d)(16) of this section. If
the system is used by an employee having a combined tool and body weight
of 310 pounds (140 kg) or more, then the employer must appropriately
modify the criteria and protocols of the Appendix to provide proper
protection for such heavier weights, or the system will not be deemed to
be in compliance with the requirements of paragraph (d)(16) of this
section.
(17) The attachment point of the body belt shall be located in the
center of the wearer's back. The attachment point of the body harness
shall be located in the center of the wearer's back near shoulder level,
or above the wearer's head.
(18) Body belts, harnesses, and components shall be used only for
employee protection (as part of a personal fall arrest system or
positioning device system) and not to hoist materials.
(19) Personal fall arrest systems and components subjected to impact
loading shall be immediately removed from service and shall not be used
again for employee protection until inspected and determined by a
competent person to be undamaged and suitable for reuse.
(20) The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in
the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue
themselves.
(21) Personal fall arrest systems shall be inspected prior to each
use for wear, damage and other deterioration, and defective components
shall be removed from service.
(22) Body belts shall be at least one and five-eighths (1\5/8\)
inches (4.1 cm) wide.
(23) Personal fall arrest systems shall not be attached to guardrail
systems, nor shall they be attached to hoists except as specified in
other subparts of this part.
(24) When a personal fall arrest system is used at hoist areas, it
shall be rigged to allow the movement of the employee only as far as the
edge of the walking/working surface.
(e) Positioning device systems. Positioning device systems and their
use shall conform to the following provisions:
[[Page 321]]
(1) Positioning devices shall be rigged such that an employee cannot
free fall more than 2 feet (.6 m).
(2) Positioning devices shall be secured to an anchorage capable of
supporting at least twice the potential impact load of an employee's
fall or 3,000 pounds (13.3 kN), whichever is greater.
(3) Connectors shall be drop forged, pressed or formed steel, or
made of equivalent materials.
(4) Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish, and all
surfaces and edges shall be smooth to prevent damage to interfacing
parts of this system.
(5) Connecting assemblies shall have a minimum tensile strength of
5,000 pounds (22.2 kN)
(6) Dee-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a minimum
tensile load of 3,600 pounds (16 kN) without cracking, breaking, or
taking permanent deformation.
(7) Snaphooks shall be sized to be compatible with the member to
which they are connected to prevent unintentional disengagement of the
snaphook by depression of the snaphook keeper by the connected member,
or shall be a locking type snaphook designed and used to prevent
disengagement of the snaphook by the contact of the snaphook keeper by
the connected member. As of January 1, 1998, only locking type snaphooks
shall be used.
(8) Unless the snaphook is a locking type and designed for the
following connections, snaphooks shall not be engaged:
(i) directly to webbing, rope or wire rope;
(ii) to each other;
(iii) to a Dee-ring to which another snaphook or other connector is
attached;
(iv) to a horizontal lifeline; or
(v) to any object which is incompatibly shaped or dimensioned in
relation to the snaphook such that unintentional disengagement could
occur by the connected object being able to depress the snaphook keeper
and release itself.
(9) Positioning device systems shall be inspected prior to each use
for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components
shall be removed from service.
(10) Body belts, harnesses, and components shall be used only for
employee protection (as part of a personal fall arrest system or
positioning device system) and not to hoist materials.
(f) Warning line systems. Warning line systems [See Sec.
1926.501(b)(10)] and their use shall comply with the following
provisions:
(1) The warning line shall be erected around all sides of the roof
work area.
(i) When mechanical equipment is not being used, the warning line
shall be erected not less than 6 feet (1.8 m) from the roof edge.
(ii) When mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall
be erected not less than 6 feet (1.8 m) from the roof edge which is
parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation, and not
less than 10 feet (3.1 m) from the roof edge which is perpendicular to
the direction of mechanical equipment operation.
(iii) Points of access, materials handling areas, storage areas, and
hoisting areas shall be connected to the work area by an access path
formed by two warning lines.
(iv) When the path to a point of access is not in use, a rope, wire,
chain, or other barricade, equivalent in strength and height to the
warning line, shall be placed across the path at the point where the
path intersects the warning line erected around the work area, or the
path shall be offset such that a person cannot walk directly into the
work area.
(2) Warning lines shall consist of ropes, wires, or chains, and
supporting stanchions erected as follows:
(i) The rope, wire, or chain shall be flagged at not more than 6-
foot (1.8 m) intervals with high-visibility material;
(ii) The rope, wire, or chain shall be rigged and supported in such
a way that its lowest point (including sag) is no less than 34 inches
(.9 m) from the walking/working surface and its highest point is no more
than 39 inches (1.0 m) from the walking/working surface;
(iii) After being erected, with the rope, wire, or chain attached,
stanchions shall be capable of resisting, without tipping over, a force
of at least 16 pounds (71 N) applied horizontally against the stanchion,
30 inches (.8 m) above the walking/working surface,
[[Page 322]]
perpendicular to the warning line, and in the direction of the floor,
roof, or platform edge;
(iv) The rope, wire, or chain shall have a minimum tensile strength
of 500 pounds (2.22 kN), and after being attached to the stanchions,
shall be capable of supporting, without breaking, the loads applied to
the stanchions as prescribed in paragraph (f)(2)(iii) of this section;
and
(v) The line shall be attached at each stanchion in such a way that
pulling on one section of the line between stanchions will not result in
slack being taken up in adjacent sections before the stanchion tips
over.
(3) No employee shall be allowed in the area between a roof edge and
a warning line unless the employee is performing roofing work in that
area.
(4) Mechanical equipment on roofs shall be used or stored only in
areas where employees are protected by a warning line system, guardrail
system, or personal fall arrest system.
(g) Controlled access zones. Controlled access zones [See Sec.
1926.501(b)(9) and Sec. 1926.502(k)] and their use shall conform to the
following provisions.
(1) When used to control access to areas where leading edge and
other operations are taking place the controlled access zone shall be
defined by a control line or by any other means that restricts access.
(i) When control lines are used, they shall be erected not less than
6 feet (1.8 m) nor more than 25 feet (7.7 m) from the unprotected or
leading edge, except when erecting precast concrete members.
(ii) When erecting precast concrete members, the control line shall
be erected not less than 6 feet (1.8 m) nor more than 60 feet (18 m) or
half the length of the member being erected, whichever is less, from the
leading edge.
(iii) The control line shall extend along the entire length of the
unprotected or leading edge and shall be approximately parallel to the
unprotected or leading edge.
(iv) The control line shall be connected on each side to a guardrail
system or wall.
(2) When used to control access to areas where overhand bricklaying
and related work are taking place:
(i) The controlled access zone shall be defined by a control line
erected not less than 10 feet (3.1 m) nor more than 15 feet (4.5 m) from
the working edge.
(ii) The control line shall extend for a distance sufficient for the
controlled access zone to enclose all employees performing overhand
bricklaying and related work at the working edge and shall be
approximately parallel to the working edge.
(iii) Additional control lines shall be erected at each end to
enclose the controlled access zone.
(iv) Only employees engaged in overhand bricklaying or related work
shall be permitted in the controlled access zone.
(3) Control lines shall consist of ropes, wires, tapes, or
equivalent materials, and supporting stanchions as follows:
(i) Each line shall be flagged or otherwise clearly marked at not
more than 6-foot (1.8 m) intervals with high-visibility material.
(ii) Each line shall be rigged and supported in such a way that its
lowest point (including sag) is not less than 39 inches (1 m) from the
walking/working surface and its highest point is not more than 45 inches
(1.3 m) [50 inches (1.3 m) when overhand bricklaying operations are
being performed] from the walking/working surface.
(iii) Each line shall have a minimum breaking strength of 200 pounds
(.88 kN).
(4) On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are not in place
prior to the beginning of overhand bricklaying operations, controlled
access zones shall be enlarged, as necessary, to enclose all points of
access, material handling areas, and storage areas.
(5) On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are in place, but
need to be removed to allow overhand bricklaying work or leading edge
work to take place, only that portion of the guardrail necessary to
accomplish that day's work shall be removed.
(h) Safety monitoring systems. Safety monitoring systems [See
Sec. Sec. 1926.501(b)(10) and 1926.502(k)] and
[[Page 323]]
their use shall comply with the following provisions:
(1) The employer shall designate a competent person to monitor the
safety of other employees and the employer shall ensure that the safety
monitor complies with the following requirements:
(i) The safety monitor shall be competent to recognize fall hazards;
(ii) The safety monitor shall warn the employee when it appears that
the employee is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe
manner;
(iii) The safety monitor shall be on the same walking/working
surface and within visual sighting distance of the employee being
monitored;
(iv) The safety monitor shall be close enough to communicate orally
with the employee; and
(v) The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities which
could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function.
(2) Mechanical equipment shall not be used or stored in areas where
safety monitoring systems are being used to monitor employees engaged in
roofing operations on low-slope roofs.
(3) No employee, other than an employee engaged in roofing work [on
low-sloped roofs] or an employee covered by a fall protection plan,
shall be allowed in an area where an employee is being protected by a
safety monitoring system.
(4) Each employee working in a controlled access zone shall be
directed to comply promptly with fall hazard warnings from safety
monitors.
(i) Covers. Covers for holes in floors, roofs, and other walking/
working surfaces shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Covers located in roadways and vehicular aisles shall be capable
of supporting, without failure, at least twice the maximum axle load of
the largest vehicle expected to cross over the cover.
(2) All other covers shall be capable of supporting, without
failure, at least twice the weight of employees, equipment, and
materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one time.
(3) All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent
accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees.
(4) All covers shall be color coded or they shall be marked with the
word ``HOLE'' or ``COVER'' to provide warning of the hazard.
Note: This provision does not apply to cast iron manhole covers or
steel grates used on streets or roadways.
(j) Protection from falling objects. Falling object protection shall
comply with the following provisions:
(1) Toeboards, when used as falling object protection, shall be
erected along the edge of the overhead walking/working surface for a
distance sufficient to protect employees below.
(2) Toeboards shall be capable of withstanding, without failure, a
force of at least 50 pounds (222 N) applied in any downward or outward
direction at any point along the toeboard.
(3) Toeboards shall be a minimum of 3\1/2\ inches (9 cm) in vertical
height from their top edge to the level of the walking/working surface.
They shall have not more than \1/4\ inch (0.6 cm) clearance above the
walking/working surface. They shall be solid or have openings not over 1
inch (2.5 cm) in greatest dimension.
(4) Where tools, equipment, or materials are piled higher than the
top edge of a toeboard, paneling or screening shall be erected from the
walking/working surface or toeboard to the top of a guardrail system's
top rail or midrail, for a distance sufficient to protect employees
below.
(5) Guardrail systems, when used as falling object protection, shall
have all openings small enough to prevent passage of potential falling
objects.
(6) During the performance of overhand bricklaying and related work:
(i) No materials or equipment except masonry and mortar shall be
stored within 4 feet (1.2 m) of the working edge.
(ii) Excess mortar, broken or scattered masonry units, and all other
materials and debris shall be kept clear from the work area by removal
at regular intervals.
(7) During the performance of roofing work:
(i) Materials and equipment shall not be stored within 6 feet (1.8
m) of a roof edge unless guardrails are erected at the edge.
[[Page 324]]
(ii) Materials which are piled, grouped, or stacked near a roof edge
shall be stable and self-supporting.
(8) Canopies, when used as falling object protection, shall be
strong enough to prevent collapse and to prevent penetration by any
objects which may fall onto the canopy.
(k) Fall protection plan. This option is available only to employees
engaged in leading edge work, precast concrete erection work, or
residential construction work (See Sec. 1926.501(b)(2), (b)(12), and
(b)(13)) who can demonstrate that it is infeasible or it creates a
greater hazard to use conventional fall protection equipment. The fall
protection plan must conform to the following provisions.
(1) The fall protection plan shall be prepared by a qualified person
and developed specifically for the site where the leading edge work,
precast concrete work, or residential construction work is being
performed and the plan must be maintained up to date.
(2) Any changes to the fall protection plan shall be approved by a
qualified person.
(3) A copy of the fall protection plan with all approved changes
shall be maintained at the job site.
(4) The implementation of the fall protection plan shall be under
the supervision of a competent person.
(5) The fall protection plan shall document the reasons why the use
of conventional fall protection systems (guardrail systems, personal
fall arrest systems, or safety nets systems) are infeasible or why their
use would create a greater hazard.
(6) The fall protection plan shall include a written discussion of
other measures that will be taken to reduce or eliminate the fall hazard
for workers who cannot be provided with protection from the conventional
fall protection systems. For example, the employer shall discuss the
extent to which scaffolds, ladders, or vehicle mounted work platforms
can be used to provide a safer working surface and thereby reduce the
hazard of falling.
(7) The fall protection plan shall identify each location where
conventional fall protection methods cannot be used. These locations
shall then be classified as controlled access zones and the employer
must comply with the criteria in paragraph (g) of this section.
(8) Where no other alternative measure has been implemented, the
employer shall implement a safety monitoring system in conformance with
Sec. 1926.502(h).
(9) The fall protection plan must include a statement which provides
the name or other method of identification for each employee who is
designated to work in controlled access zones. No other employees may
enter controlled access zones.
(10) In the event an employee falls, or some other related, serious
incident occurs, (e.g., a near miss) the employer shall investigate the
circumstances of the fall or other incident to determine if the fall
protection plan needs to be changed (e.g. new practices, procedures, or
training) and shall implement those changes to prevent similar types of
falls or incidents.
