OSHA 1926.1423: Fall protection

(a) Application. (1) Paragraphs (b), (c)(3), (e) and (f) of this section apply to all equipment covered by this subpart except tower cranes.

(2) Paragraphs (c)(1), (c)(2), (d), (g), (j) and (k) of this section apply to all equipment covered by this subpart.

(3) Paragraphs (c)(4) and (h) of this section apply only to tower cranes.

(b) Boom walkways. (1) Equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 with lattice booms must be equipped with walkways on the boom(s) if the vertical profile of the boom (from cord centerline to cord centerline) is 6 or more feet.

(2) Boom walkway criteria. (i) The walkways must be at least 12 inches wide.

(ii) Guardrails, railings and other permanent fall protection attachments along walkways are:

(A) Not required.

(B) Prohibited on booms supported by pendant ropes or bars if the guardrails/railings/attachments could be snagged by the ropes or bars.

(C) Prohibited if of the removable type (designed to be installed and removed each time the boom is assembled/disassembled).

(D) Where not prohibited, guardrails or railings may be of any height up to, but not more than, 45 inches.

(c) Steps, handholds, ladders, grabrails, guardrails and railings. (1) Section 1926.502(b) does not apply to equipment covered by this subpart.

(2) The employer must maintain in good condition originally-equipped steps, handholds, ladders and guardrails/railings/grabrails.

(3) Equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 must be equipped so as to provide safe access and egress between the ground and the operator work station(s), including the forward and rear positions, by the provision of devices such as steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails. These devices must meet the following criteria:

(i) Steps, handholds, ladders and guardrails/railings/grabrails must meet the criteria of SAE J185 (May 2003) (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) or ISO 11660-2:1994(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) except where infeasible.

(ii) Walking/stepping surfaces, except for crawler treads, must have slip-resistant features/properties (such as diamond plate metal, strategically placed grip tape, expanded metal, or slip-resistant paint).

(4) Tower cranes manufactured after November 8, 2011 must be equipped so as to provide safe access and egress between the ground and the cab, machinery platforms, and tower (mast), by the provision of devices such as steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails. These devices must meet the following criteria:

(i) Steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails must meet the criteria of ISO 11660-1:2008(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) and ISO 11660-3:2008(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) or SAE J185 (May 2003) (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) except where infeasible.

(ii) Walking/stepping surfaces must have slip-resistant features/properties (such as diamond plate metal, strategically placed grip tape, expanded metal, or slip-resistant paint).

(d) Personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems. Personal fall arrest system components must be used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems and must conform to the criteria in § 1926.502(d) except that § 1926.502(d)(15) does not apply to components used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems. Either body belts or body harnesses must be used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems.

(e) For non-assembly/disassembly work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 6 feet above a lower level as follows:

(1) When moving point-to-point:

(i) On non-lattice booms (whether horizontal or not horizontal).

(ii) On lattice booms that are not horizontal.

(iii) On horizontal lattice booms where the fall distance is 15 feet or more.

(2) While at a work station on any part of the equipment (including the boom, of any type), except when the employee is at or near draw-works (when the equipment is running), in the cab, or on the deck.

(f) For assembly/disassembly work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 15 feet above a lower level, except when the employee is at or near draw-works (when the equipment is running), in the cab, or on the deck.

(g) Anchorage criteria. (1) Sections 1926.502(d)(15) and 1926.502(e)(2) apply to equipment covered by this subpart only to the extent delineated in paragraph (g)(2) of this section.

(2) Anchorages for personal fall arrest and positioning device systems. (i) Personal fall arrest systems must be anchored to any apparently substantial part of the equipment unless a competent person, from a visual inspection, without an engineering analysis, would conclude that the criteria in § 1926.502(d)(15) would not be met.

(ii) Positioning device systems must be anchored to any apparently substantial part of the equipment unless a competent person, from a visual inspection, without an engineering analysis, would conclude that the criteria in § 1926.502(e)(2) would not be met.

(iii) Attachable anchor devices (portable anchor devices that are attached to the equipment) must meet the anchorage criteria in § 1926.502(d)(15) for personal fall arrest systems and § 1926.502(e)(2) for positioning device systems.

(3) Anchorages for fall restraint systems. Fall restraint systems must be anchored to any part of the equipment that is capable of withstanding twice the maximum load that an employee may impose on it during reasonably anticipated conditions of use.

(h) Tower cranes. (1) For work other than erecting, climbing, and dismantling, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 6 feet above a lower level, except when the employee is at or near draw-works (when the equipment is running), in the cab, or on the deck.

(2) For erecting, climbing, and dismantling work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 15 feet above a lower level.

(i) [Reserved]

(j) Anchoring to the load line. A personal fall arrest system is permitted to be anchored to the crane/derrick's hook (or other part of the load line) where all of the following requirements are met:

(1) A qualified person has determined that the set-up and rated capacity of the crane/derrick (including the hook, load line and rigging) meets or exceeds the requirements in § 1926.502(d)(15).

(2) The equipment operator must be at the work site and informed that the equipment is being used for this purpose.

(3) No load is suspended from the load line when the personal fall arrest system is anchored to the crane/derrick's hook (or other part of the load line).

(k) Training. The employer must train each employee who may be exposed to fall hazards while on, or hoisted by, equipment covered by this subpart on all of the following:

(1) the requirements in this subpart that address fall protection.

(2) the applicable requirements in §§ 1926.500 and 1926.502.