Osha Low Slope Roof Fall Protection

Osha walking working surfaces standard low sloped roof fall protection defined.

Osha low slope roof fall protection.

Low sloped roof is a term that osha felt it needed to be defined in its walking working surfaces update published november 18 2016. The roofing safety zones. If employers elect to use a safety monitoring system they must designate a competent person to monitor the safety of workers and to warn them when their work puts them close to a fall hazard. Slope is calculated by rise over run thus a low sloped roof is a roof where for every 12 units inches feet or meters measured horizontally run the roof does not increase or decrease by.

See 1926 501 b 2 12 and 13 because of feasibility limitations the standard permits the use of a warning line in combination with other measures instead of conventional fall protection guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems or safety net systems to keep employees away from an 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. In a few very specific situations low slope roof work some leading edge work precast concrete erection and residential construction. The extremely high danger zone less than six feet from the roof s edge requires one of the following.

Osha has designated three work zones on low slope roofs with unprotected edges that are four feet or more above a lower level.