Flat Roof Fall Protection Requirements

The bottom line is that something is necessary.

Flat roof fall protection requirements.

The worst mistake you could make would be to do nothing at all. Proper fall protection measures personal protective equipment ppe and adhering to safe work practices can protect workers from fall hazards. 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. A lack of fall protection damaged fall protection equipment or improper setup will increase their risk of falling from height.

Single unit monolithic roofing applied to flat roofs may seem safer to some roof workers but the work is still at height and subject to many similar hazards and safety requirements as sloped roof work. Under the standard. Roofing fall protection requirements can be complicated which often causes people to make mistakes when determining what is necessary. A rule prohibiting employees from going within 15 feet of the roof edge without fall protection needs to be implemented and enforced.

Roof fall protection standards in regards specifically to roof fall protection the 1910 standard specifies for low slope roofs that when work is performed less than 6 feet 1 6 m from the roof edge the employer must ensure each employee is protected from falling by a guardrail system safety net system travel restraint system or. On flat or low sloped roofs warning lines are used in conjunction with conventional fall protection or a safety monitoring system see 29 cfr 1926 501 b 10. Workers are not allowed in the area between the warning line and the unprotected edge except during roofing work see 29 cfr 1926 502 f 3. With regard to fall protection requirements applicable to the construction work itself 1926 501 b 10 low slope roofs requires conventional fall protection a combination of a monitoring system and warning line or on roofs of 50 feet or less in width a monitoring system alone i e without a warning line be used.

If you find yourself working on a roof with no warning line no monitor no. Small employer with bad osha history receives nearly 230 000 in more osha fines. Working six feet or more above lower levels put roofers at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. Fall prevention fall protection fall protection flat roof fall safety low sloped roof work osha osha flat roof previous post.

Employers are not required to provide fall protection when the work is infrequent and temporary. If you have questions about rooftop fall protection please reach out to us. Fall protection requirements falls are the leading cause of work related injuries and deaths among roofers.