Osha Roof Safety Requirements

Steep roofs each employee on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet 1 8 m or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems with toeboards safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems.

Osha roof safety requirements.

While osha has made some extensive updates to its guidelines for fall protection these changes were created with a safety mindset and are intended to help lower fatality and injury rates in workplaces across the nation. Each year many roofers sustain injuries and even die on the job in the u s. Reducing falls during residential construction. 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.

Proper fall protection measures personal protective equipment ppe and adhering to safe work practices can protect workers from fall hazards. Horizontal lifelines must be designed to maintain a safety factor of at least two twice the impact load. This community college facility meets osha guidelines yet the fall prevention and restraint systems blend in. 1926 501 b 12 precast concrete erection.

Requirements for rope descent systems. For requirements for horizontal lifelines refer to 29 cfr 1926 502 d 8. Below is a table of frequently cited osha standards for roofing contractors during fy 2013. Protecting roofing workers osha 3755 2015 english.

Requirements for safety net systems. Re roofing fact sheet osha fs 3503 2012 english. Employers are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable osha requirements. Two osha standards can apply 29 cfr 1910 which governs general industry safety standards and 29 cfr 1926 which governs construction sites specifically the osha general industry standards exclude construction as well as agriculture and marine industries which.

Osha standards frequently cited during fy 2013 inspections of roofing contractors naics 238160 rank by number of citations issued categories standard 1 duty to have fall protection 1926 501 2 ladder safety 1926 1053 3 fall protection training requirements. Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies. Roofing work poses safety risks for workers because of the high heights involved in installing roofs. Achieving osha roofing safety requirements does not mean that your building needs to look like a construction site.