Transcript Fall Protection - An Overview of Washington State Requirements

Fall Protection
An Overview of Washington State
Requirements
September, 2010
This module will cover:
What is fall protection?
What type of work requires fall protection?
At what height is fall protection is required?
4 foot?
6 foot?
10 foot?
The purpose of fall protection is to either prevent a
fall before it occurs or stop a fall after it occurs.
There are 3 categories of fall protection:
 Restraint systems – prevents a fall from
occurring

Arrest systems – stops a person after falling

Positioning device systems – keeps a
person in position and stops fall within 2 feet
What is fall protection and when is it required?
“Fall protection” means personal fall protection equipment
worn by employees working at heights, safety nets, catch
platforms, warning lines, and guard rails along elevated
surfaces.
Fall protection of some type (usually guardrails) is required
when employees work at a height of 4 feet or more in all
workplaces.
In construction, personal fall protection equipment or
equivalent protection is required when workers are at
heights of 10 feet or more.
In some types of work or industries, fall protection is
specified at different heights.
Depending on the circumstances or type of work,
fall protection may be required when workers are
exposed to falls of:
Zero feet - above or adjacent to dangerous equipment,
pickling or galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, or similar
hazardous equipment
4 feet or more (all workplaces)
5 feet (ship building and repair)
6 feet (concrete and masonry work)
8 feet (longshoring)
10 feet or more for employees engaged in roofing work or
leading edge work, steel erection, working on scaffolds and
for firefighters and ski lift workers
General 4 foot fall protection requirement
Open-sided floors, platforms, runways, or wall openings 4 or
more feet above adjacent floor or ground level must be guarded
by a railing (except where there is an entrance to a ramp,
stairway or fixed ladder).
This is true in general industry, in agriculture and in the
construction industry, except for leading edge work or roofing
work.
References:
Core Rule, WAC 296-800-26010(1)
Construction Rule, WAC 296-155-505(6)(a)
Agriculture Rule, WAC 296-307-25015(1)
General Safety Rules, WAC 296-24-75005
Specified 4 foot fall protection requirement
Longshore/stevedoring – requires
guardrails or an alternate method,
such as nets, when employees are
exposed to a fall of four or more feet
from floor or wall openings or
waterfront edges.
Reference: WAC 296-56-60123(2)
Trenching and excavation work –
requires guardrails where walkways
are four or more feet above lower
levels.
Reference: WAC 296-155-655(12)(a)
Specified 4 foot requirement (continued)
Electrical workers – Fall arrest
equipment, work positioning
equipment or travel restricting
equipment must be used by
employees working at elevated
locations more than 4 feet above the
ground on poles, towers or similar
structures if other fall protection has
not been provided.
Reference: WAC 296-45-25510(12)
Note: Unqualified employees (including
trainees) are required to use fall protection
any time they are more than 4 feet above the
ground.
Fall Protection in Construction
Required when employees are exposed to a hazard of
falling from a location 10 feet or more in height by one of
the methods listed below:
Reference: WAC 296-155-24510
Roofing work & leading edge work – 10 feet
Employees engaged in leading edge work
and general roofing work, must be protected
by fall restraint, fall arrest systems or
positioning device system when they are
exposed to a fall of 10 feet or more in height.
9’ 6”
14’
Reference: WAC 296-155- 24510
Note: Warning lines and safety monitoring systems in lieu of
personal fall protection are allowed in certain situations.
See 155-24515 , 155-24520 & 155-24521
Fall protection required at gable
end, but not horizontal roof edge.
Steel Erection – fall protection at 10 feet
Source: OSHA
Leading edge control zones or perimeter safety cables are
allowed on decking work.
Reference: WAC 296-155-716
Scaffolding - 10 foot requirement
Employees on a scaffold more
than 10 feet above a lower level
must be protected by either a
personal fall arrest system or
guardrails.
Reference: WAC 296-874-20052
Other specified 10 foot requirements
Fire fighter training – when fire
fighters are engaged in training
above 10 feet level where life lines
are used, they must be protected
by a safety net or fall restraint or
arrest in lieu of nets.
Reference: WAC 296-305-05501(4)
Ski lifts – whenever employees
are working in locations which
expose them to a fall of ten feet or
more, safety belts, lifelines and
lanyards must be provided and
used.
Reference: WAC 296-59-050(5)
Ladders - 25 Ft.
When working on a ladder over 25 feet and doing work with
both hands, or wearing eye protection or a respirator, a
safety belt and lanyard secured to the ladder must be used.
Reference: WAC 296-876-40040
Note: a safety belt and lanyard secured to the ladder is not technically fall protection
because if the ladder is not set up correctly or secure from displacement, it will fall and
so will the person attached. It is an added safety requirement for persons working at
those heights on a ladder who are using both hands. It essentially provides the third
point of contact needed for working on ladders.
Longshoring - 8 feet
Longshore/stevedore employees doing maintenance on cranes,
spouts or similar types of equipment 8 feet or more above the
ground and not in an area that is protected by standard
safeguards such as walkways with standard railings, or ladders
with protective cages, must wear a safety belt and lanyard which
can be attached to the structure.
Reference: WAC 296-56-60119
Concrete & Masonry Work - 6 feet
Concrete and masonry operations –
employees placing or tying reinforcing
steel at 6 feet or more above any
adjacent working surface must be
protected by one of the following
methods:
• personal fall arrest system
• safety net system
• positioning device systems
Reference: WAC 296-155-680(10)(b)
Concrete and masonry operations–
employees on the face of formwork or
reinforcing steel must be protected from
falling 6 feet or more to lower levels by
any of the methods listed above.
Reference: WAC 296-155-680(10)(c)
Shipbuilding and repair - 5 feet
Shipbuilding and ship repair – employees exposed to unguarded edges of
decks, platforms, flats and similar flat surfaces more than 5 feet above a solid
surface, the edges must be guarded by adequate guardrails
Reference : WAC 296-304-05005
Shipbuilding and ship repair – whenever employees work aloft or elsewhere
at location more than 5 feet above a solid surface, the employer must provide
and ensure the use of fall protection.
Reference: WAC 296-304-05013(2) and WAC 296-304-09019
Some Fall Protection Always Required
There are some instances in which fall protection (guard rails)
is always required, no matter what the fall distance is.
For example, regardless of height, all open-sided floors,
walkways, platforms, or runways above or adjacent to
dangerous equipment, pickling or galvanizing tanks,
degreasing units, or similar hazardous equipment, must be
guarded with a standard railing and toe board.
This is true in general industry, agriculture and in the
construction industry.
References:
Core Rule, WAC 296-800-26010(1)
Construction Rule, WAC 296-155-505(6)(e)
Agriculture Rule, WAC 296-307-25015(3)
Tree trimming: fall protection always required
Electrical workers doing line
clearance tree-trimming – each
employee must be tied in with a
climbing rope and safety saddle
when the employee is working
above the ground in a tree, unless
he or she is ascending into the tree.
Reference: WAC 296-45-45530
Warehouse order-pickers: Always
Order pickers (forklifts) – must be
equipped with either standard
guardrails on all sides or a safety
harness and lanyard that are
connected to a tie off point that
has been approved by the PIT
manufacturer.
Reference: WAC 296-863-20025
Window washing - Always
Window washing – workers suspended
from a boatswain’s chair or rope descent
system must use an independent fall arrest
system where the fall arrest anchorage is
separate from the suspension system
anchorage.
Workers operating powered platforms must
wear and use a fall arrest system.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Workers must be connected at all times
to the fall arrest system while they are
suspended.
Reference: WAC 296-878-15025
Source: Oregon OSHA
Elevated work platforms(aerial lifts): Always
Boom supported elevating work platforms – Safety harness
and lanyard devices fixed to attachments points provided and
approved by the manufacturer must be used by all occupants,
regardless of the height.
Reference: WAC 296-869 - 20045
Fall protection always required
Employees must be protected from falls through any skylights,
roof openings or floor openings by installing either a standard
guardrail system along all exposed sides or a cover that is
marked, secured and is capable of supporting at least 200
pounds.
Cover for floor opening
References:
Core Rule, WAC 296-800-26010(1)
Construction Rule, WAC 296-155-505(6)(e)
Agriculture Rule, WAC 296-307-25009
Construction fall protection rules are being revised
WAC 296-155-245 Fall Protection for construction:
This is a clear rule writing effort and combines two parts of the
construction safety code for clarity and ease of use. In addition, the
department intends to clarify current language which has created
confusion at worksites with respect to walking-working surfaces on
roofs as recommended by a business and labor ad hoc committee.
To find out the status of the new rule, click on:
Link to new rule activity webpage
To view proposed new rule requirements and wording, click on:
Link to proposed new rule
Additional Resources
Pocket Guide to Safety - for roofing
Fall Protection Work Plan Requirements – L & I DOSH requirements
OSHA Construction eTool – personal fall arrest
systems
Fall Protection for the construction industry –
Oregon OSHA
Fall Protection Comparison Chart – DOSH
Fall Protection: Responding to Emergencies
Sample Fall Protection Work Plan