Does "Steel Erection" Apply to You?

Are employees engaged in steel erection activities? If yes, then you need to comply with the state specific standard for steel erection along with the requirements of subpart R - steel erection. The North Carolina state specific standard expands and clarifies the scope in paragraph (b) and adds requirements pertaining to tripping hazards to paragraph (c). Note: This standard applies to the construction industry in North Carolina.

Besides expanding the scope for steel erection activities, it provides for fall protection measures (reference fall protection) or more protective measures (reference fall protection systems criteria and practices) when conventional fall protection methods do not offer adequate protection for employees. It also provides for guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems or safety nets when leading edge work activities are six feet or more above the lower levels for employees not meeting requirements of the standard on training, paragraph (c). The state specific standard identifies steel erection and leading edge work activities as follows: 

Steel erection activities include hoisting, laying out, placing, connecting, welding, burning, guying, bracing, bolting, plumbing and rigging structural steel, steel joists and metal buildings; installing metal decking, curtain walls, window walls, siding systems, miscellaneous metals, ornamental iron and similar materials; and moving point-to-point while performing these activities.

Leading edge work activities include off loading, stacking, laying out and fastening steel floor decking and metal and non-metal roof decking; positioning and securing exterior curtain walls, window walls, exterior siding systems; and moving from point to point while performing these activities.

The paragraph on tripping hazards provides additional requirements for protecting employees from falls due to tripping hazards created by shear connectors (including headed steel studs, steel bars or steel lugs), reinforcing bars, deformed anchors, or threaded studs attached to the top flanges of beams, joists or beam attachments. These requirements provides for using one of three fall protection measures; fall protection systems (i.e., safety nets, personal fall arrest systems, guardrails), temporary decking, or protect procedure (not welding or applying shear connectors that project vertically or horizontally across the top flange of a member until the metal decking or other walking/working surface is installed).   

Reference safety and health topics pages for steel erectionpersonal protective equipment, competent person and fall protection.