Osha Roof Work Requirements

This is in response to your fax submitted on september 2 2003 to the occupational safety and health administration osha and as a follow up to a telephone conversation on september 22 2003.

Osha roof work requirements.

Proper fall protection measures personal protective equipment ppe and adhering to safe work practices can protect workers from fall hazards. Roofing work poses safety risks for workers because of the high heights involved in installing roofs. Simply consider the task you are performing whether that be maintenance construction or really anything else assess the hazards divide by the number of workers and factor in the use of personal protective equipment adjusted for recent revisions to written policy and you will find that without fail. However under the new rule if the distance is less than 6 feet from the roof edge conventional fall protection systems are required.

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. Figuring out how to work on a roof without fall protection is easier than you think. 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 personal fall arrest system. Osha regulations for roofing focus on fall protection equipment to help protect the safety and health of roofing workers.

Fall protection requirements for construction workers doing work while on a roof. Each year many roofers sustain injuries and even die on the job in the u s. Two hundred and fifty four of the 721 deaths were caused by falls. Occupational safety and health administration osha standards.

Occupational safety and health administration 12 anchors to sheathing single trusses or most. Roofing work it is important not to attach. Roofing work on low slope roofs 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. Understand the requirements of osha s fall protection standards at 29 cfr 1926 subpart m to protect workers exposed to falls six feet or.

Except as otherwise provided in paragraph b of this section each employee performing overhand bricklaying and related work 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 shall work in a controlled access zone.