17.6 Fall Protection and Falling Object Protection
17.9 Protection from Falling Objects
17.10 Personal Fall Arrest Systems
17.2 Training #
Before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, the department must provide training for each employee who Before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, the department must provide training for each employee who uses personal fall protection systems or who is required to be trained as specified elsewhere in this subpart.
A qualified person must train each employee in at least the following topics:
- The nature of the fall hazards in the work area and how to recognize them.
- The procedures to be followed to minimize or eliminate falls.
- The correct procedures for installing, inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall arrest systems.
- The correct use of personal fall arrest systems and equipment including, but not limited to, proper hook-up, anchoring, and tie-off techniques, and methods of equipment inspection and storage, as specified by the manufacturer.
Retraining #
The department must retrain an employee when the supervisor or EHS has reason to believe the employee does not have the understanding and skills related to fall and equipment hazards noted above.
17.3 Ladders #
Ladders in General #
- Ladder rungs, steps, and cleats must be parallel, level, and uniformly spaced when the ladder is in position for use.
- Ladders must be inspected before initial use during each work shift.
- Employees must face the ladder when climbing up or down it.
- Employees must use at least one hand to grasp the ladder when climbing up and down it.
- Employees must not carry any object or load that could cause the employee to lose balance and fall while climbing up or down the ladder.
Portable Ladders #
- Ladders must not be loaded beyond the maximum intended load. The maximum intended load includes the total load (weight and force) of the employee and all tools, equipment, and materials being carried.
- Ladders must only be used only on stable and level surfaces unless they are secured or stabilized to prevent accidental displacement.
- No ladder will be moved, shifted, or extended while an employee is on it.
- The cap (if equipped) and top step of a stepladder must not be used as steps.
- Portable ladders used to gain access to an upper landing surface shall have side rails that extend at least 3 feet (0.9 m) above the upper landing surface.
- Ladders must not be placed on boxes, barrels, inside manlifts or other unstable bases to obtain additional height.
Fixed ladders #
- Fixed ladders must be capable of supporting their maximum intended load.
- Grab bars or side rails must extend 42 inches (1.1 m) above the access level or landing platforms served by the ladder.
- For existing fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (7.3 m) above a lower level, the ladders shall be equipped with a personal fall arrest system, ladder safety system, cage, or well.
- New or replacement (after November 19, 2018) fixed ladders that extend more than 24 feet (7.3 m) above a lower level, shall be equipped with a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system.
- After November 18, 2036, all fixed ladders (old and new) must be equipped with a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety system.
- Each ladder safety system must allow the employee to climb up and down using both hands and not require that the employee continuously hold, push, or pull any part of the system while climbing.
Mobile ladder stands and platforms #
- No mobile ladder stand or platform shall be moved when an employee is on it.
Step Bolts and Manhole Steps #
Each step bolt must be inspected at the start of the workshift. If found deficient or defective, it must be replaced before use.
17.4 Stairways #
- Each flight of stairs having at least 3 treads and at least 4 risers is equipped with stair rail systems and handrails.
- Stairs must have uniform riser heights and tread depths between landings.
- Stairway landings and platforms are at least the width of the stair and at least 30 inches (76 cm) in depth, as measured in the direction of travel.
- When a door or a gate opens directly on a stairway, a platform is provided, and the swing of the door or gate does not reduce the platform’s effective usable depth to 20” (51 cm) before January 17, 2017, and 22” (56 cm) after January 17, 2017.
- Stairs shall be installed at angles between 30 to 50 degrees from the horizontal.
- Each stair shall support at least five times the normal anticipated live load, but never less than a concentrated load of 1,000 pounds.
- The requirements below do not apply to standard stairs installed prior to January 17, 2017. Stairs will be considered in compliance if they meet the dimension requirements specified in Table D-1, MIOSHA General Industry Standard Part 2, Walking-Working Surfaces.
- Stairs shall have a maximum riser height of 9.5 inches (24 cm).
- Stairs shall have a minimum tread depth of 9.5 inches (24 cm).
- Stairs shall have a minimum width of 22 inches (56 cm).
17.5 Dockboards #
- Dockboards must be capable of supporting their maximum intended load.
- Dockboards put into initial service on or after January 17, 2017 must be designed, constructed, and maintained to prevent transfer vehicles from running off the dockboard edge.
- Portable dockboards must be secured by anchoring them in place or using equipment or devices that prevent the dockboard from moving out of a safe position.
- Portable dockboards must be equipped with handholds or other means to permit safe handling of dockboards.
- Measures, such as wheel chocks or sand shoes, must be used to prevent the transport vehicle (e.g. a truck, semitrailer, trailer, or rail car) on which a dockboard is placed, from moving while employees are on the dockboard.
17.6 Fall Protection and Falling Object Protection #
This section does not apply to portable ladders, entertainment stages, rail station platforms, powered platforms, aerial lifts and employees inspecting, investigating or assessing workplace conditions.
Each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or edge shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, safety net systems or a personal fall arrest system when performing construction work 6 feet (1.83m) or more above lower levels or all other work tasks that are 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level. Fall Protection will be used on all unprotected sides and edges that include but are not limited to: hoist areas, holes (skylights, hatchways, chutes etc.), dockboards, runways, stairways, wall openings and roofs. During inspection, investigation or assessing workplace conditions, if there is fall protection equipment available, the employee must use it.
Each employee must be protected from falling into a ladder-way floor hole or ladder-way platform hole by a guardrail system with toeboards erected on all exposed sides, except at the entrance to the hole, where a self-closing gate or an offset must be used. Each employee less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above dangerous equipment must be protected from falling into or onto the dangerous equipment by a guardrail system or a travel restraint system.
Guardrail systems meet the following requirements:
- Top edge 42” +/- 3”
- Midrails are installed between the top edge and the walking-working surface.
- Intermediate vertical members (such as balusters, where no midrail is in place) are installed no more than 19 inches (48 cm) apart.
- Guardrail systems are capable of withstanding a force of at least 200 pounds applied in a downward or outward direction within 2 inches (5 cm) of the top edge.
- When the 200-pound test load is applied in a downward direction, the top rail of the guardrail system must not deflect to a height of less than 39”.
- Top rails and mid-rails are at least 0.25-inches (0.6 cm) in diameter or in thickness.
Handrail and stair rail systems must meet the following requirements:
- Handrails are not less than 30 inches (76 cm) and not more than 38 inches (97 cm), as measured from the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the handrail.
- The height of stair rail systems installed before January 17, 2017 is not less than 30 inches (76 cm) and not less than 42 inches (107 cm) if installed after January 17, 2017 from the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the top rail.
- The top rail of a stair rail system may serve as a handrail only when the height of the stair rail system is not less than 36 inches (91 cm) and not more than 38 inches (97 cm) as measured at the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the top rail.
- No opening in a stair rail system shall exceed 19 inches (48 cm) at its least dimension.
- The ends of handrails and stair rail systems do not present any projection hazards.
- Handrails and the top rails of stair rail systems are capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 200 pounds (890 N) applied in any downward or outward direction within 2 inches (5 cm) of any point along the top edge of the rail.
17.7 Rope Decent Systems #
Before any rope descent system is used, the building owner must inform users, in writing that the building owner has identified, tested, certified, and maintained each anchorage so it is capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (268 kg), in any direction, for each employee attached. The information must be based on an annual inspection by a qualified person and certification of each anchorage by a qualified person, as necessary, and at least every 10 years.
17.8 Work on Low-Sloped Roofs #
When work is performed less than 6 feet (1.6 m) from an unprotected/unguarded roof edge, employees shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, travel restraint system, or personal fall arrest system.
When work is performed at least 6 feet (1.6 m) but less than 15 feet (4.6 m) from an unprotected/unguarded roof edge, the employee shall be protected from falling by using a guardrail system, safety net system, travel restraint system, personal fall arrest system, or a designated safety area when performing work that is both infrequent and temporary.
When using a designated safety area, the employee must:
- Remain within the designated safety area while work operations are underway.
- Delineate the perimeter of the designated area with a warning line consisting of a rope, wire, tape, or chain that meets the requirements of MIOSHA General Industry Standard Part 2, Walking-Working Surfaces.
When work is performed 15 feet (4.6 m) or more from an unprotected/unguarded roof edge, fall protection is not required, provided the work is both infrequent and temporary and a work rule is implemented and enforced prohibiting employees from going within 15 feet of the roof edge without using a guardrail system, safety net system, travel restraint system, or personal fall arrest system or a designated safety area.
17.9 Protection from Falling Objects #
- To reduce the potential for objects falling to lower levels, objects shall be kept far enough from an edge, hole, or opening to prevent them from falling to a lower level. Employees potentially exposed to falling objects shall wear head protection.
- In situations where objects can fall to a lower level, toeboards, screens or guardrail systems to prevent objects from falling must be in place.
- As an alternative to using toeboards, screens or guardrail systems for falling object prevention, a canopy structure or barricading the area may be utilized.
17.10 Personal Fall Arrest Systems #
Body belts, harnesses, and other components used in personal fall arrest systems, work positioning systems, and travel restraint systems must meet the requirements of MIOSHA General Industry Standard Part 2, Walking-Working Surfaces. Body belts are not to be used as part of a personal fall arrest system.
