Fall Protection

What are the hazards associated with fall protection?

In the absence of fall protection, employees can become seriously injured resulting in broken bones, strains and sprains, or death.

What can I do to protect myself?

Whenever employees are provided with personal fall protection equipment, they must examine it prior to beginning work from an elevation. Employers are required to ensure that employees have been trained and have the proper equipment to prevent a fall to a lower surface and have implemented a fall protection plan.

What resources are available to assist employers?

Safety and Health Programs

An example fall protection training certificate (English and Spanish) can be used to document employer's training. The protection plan for residential construction can be downloaded and customized to fit an individual work setting.  Other example safety and health programs are available for employers to download and adapt to their specific conditions. 

The jobsite inspection checklist [Long (English/Spanish) and Short (English/Spanish)] has a section devoted to ladders that can be used as a quick check for improper maintenance and use of ladders at a construction job site. 

Training and Outreach Services

A fall protection presentation is available for workplaces to assist in training their staff. The presentation should be modified to address site-specific conditions and hazards. Other example presentations are available along with pre-recorded webinars which can be accessed at any time. 

In addition, the education, training and technical assistance bureau provides free online safety and health training and outreach services (i.e., speaker's bureau requests, safety booths) upon request. 

Lastly, the NCDOL Library offers free safety and health videos (including streaming video service) and related research assistance on consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, NFPA, NEC).

Safety and Health Topic Pages

The safety and health topic pages on personal protective equipment, big four in construction and walking and working surfaces provides additional related resource information, 

Consultation Services

The consultative services bureau provides free and confidential onsite consultation regarding worksite safety and health hazards.

Which standards apply?

OSH has adopted the following standards which are applicable to fall protection in North Carolina. Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic. 

Construction

• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M - Fall Protection

  • 29 CFR 1926.500 - scope, application and definitions

  • 29 CFR 1926.501  - duty to have fall protection

  • 29 CFR 1926.502 - fall protection systems criteria and practices

  • 29 CFR 1926.503  - training requirements

Other OSH standards that may apply to fall protection in construction include:

• 29 CFR 1926.104 - safety belts, lifelines, and lanyards

• 29 CFR 1904.7  - recordkeeping, general recording criteria

• 29 CFR 1904.39 - recordkeeping, reporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye as a result of work-related incidents to OSHA

Maritime, Shipyard Employment

• 29 CFR 1915.159 - personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)

• 29 CFR 1915.160 - positioning device systems

Other Applicable Standards

The Which OSHA Standards Apply webpage can also help identify other standards that may be applicable to your worksite.

Where can I learn more?

Compliance Documents

• SN 65 - The Use of Warning Lines Alone For Fall Protection on Low Sloped Roofs discusses the conditions in which the use of warning lines on low-slope roofs qualifies as fall protection.
• SN 74 - Fall Protection Requirements for Work Involving Dry Laid Masonry Retaining Walls addresses fall protection requirements when employees are engaged in the installation of dry laid masonry retaining walls.
• STD 03-11-002 - Compliance Guidance for Fall Protection in Residential Construction addresses fall protection requirements when employees are engaged in residential construction.
• Compliance Directive: CPL 02-00-124 - Multi-Employer Citation Policy provides guidance to Compliance Officers regarding the issuance of citations for employers who exercise control in creating, controlling, exposing and correcting hazards for their employees and those of other employers on site.
• OSHA Technical Manual (TED 01-00-015) provides technical information about workplace hazards and controls to OSHA’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers.

Fact Sheets

• NCDOL Investigates: Fall From Ladder provides an overview of the investigation process used for falls from ladders.
• NCDOL Investigates: Fall From Roof provides an overview of the investigation process associated with falls from roofs.
• NCDOL Investigates Fall From Scaffolding provides an overview of the investigation process associated with falls from scaffolding.

Industry Guides

• Industry Guide 48 - OSHA Construction Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training, provides requirements for standards related to falls in construction.
• Industry Guide 49 - OSHA General Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training, provides requirements for standards related to falls in general industry.
• Industry Guide 53 - OSHA Shipyard Employment Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training, highlights the requirements of standards related to falls in shipyard employment.

Technical Assistance

Inquiries about workplace safety and health requirements can be submitted to Ask OSH through the online form, by email to ask.osh@labor.nc.gov, or by phone at 919-707-7876.