# New OSHA Directive on Fall Protection - You've been notified...



## Safety_Guy (Dec 15, 2011)

OSHA Announcement on Fall Protection Enforcement.
The new fall protection directive became effective on 9/16/2011. All contractors who work 6 feet above lower levels are required to use guard rails, safety nets and or fall arrest systems. In addition they must have a written safety plan in place and they must train their workers on the standards. This training must be documented.

Here is the NEW DIRECTIVE - http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=DIRECTIVES&p_id=4755

September 22, 2011​ 
MEMORANDUM FOR: OSHA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS​ 
FROM: DAVID MICHAELS, PhD, MPH​ 
SUBJECT: Residential Construction Fall Protection​ 
*Effective immediately and until March 15, 2012*, the following general policy guidance is to be followed for enforcement of the new residential fall protection directive (Compliance Guidance for Residential Construction, STD 03-11-002) and for compliance assistance related to that directive. Please share this information with the State Plans and On-site Consultation Projects in your region, and ensure that all Area Offices follow this temporary policy.
1) OSHA will make it a priority for our Compliance Assistance Specialists (CASs) to provide assistance to the residential construction industry. Please instruct the Area Offices that residential fall protection requests are to be the CAS's highest priority. In addition, please inform the State On-site Consultation Projects that, from September 16, 2011 through March 15, 2012, excluding imminent danger situations, requests from residential construction businesses should be their highest priority for receiving an on-site visit.​ 

2) During inspections of employers engaged in residential construction who are not complying with the new residential fall protection directive, but are following the old directive (Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction STD 3.1, Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction, STD 03-00-001), the Regional Administrators and Area Directors will take the following actions:

Area Directors will allow an additional good faith reduction in penalties of up to 10% for employers engaged in residential construction. In addition to the safety and health management system good faith determination in Chapter 6 of the Field Operations Manual, the Area Director shall consider examples of attempting to comply in good faith to include: requesting and scheduling an On-site Consultation visit, ordering protective fall equipment for its employees, or performing a documented evaluation of feasible means of abatement. This good faith reduction does not apply in cases of a fatality, catastrophe, or serious injury resulting from a fall during residential construction activities.
Area Directors will allow residential construction employers at least 30 days to correct fall protection violations identified under the new residential fall protection directive. During that time, if such employers are not in compliance at that site or another site, no additional citations or repeat citations shall be issued. This policy does not apply in cases of a fatality, catastrophe, or serious injury resulting from a fall during residential construction activities.
3) All proposed citations under this enforcement policy shall be submitted to the OSHA Regional Office to ensure consistency and clarity. For cases where the Regional Office needs interpretative assistance in its review, it shall consult with the National Office Directorate of Construction.
_*All of the measures described in this policy apply only to employers that are, at a minimum, following the old directive (STD 03-00-001). If the employer is not complying with either the new directive or the old directive, the Area Director shall issue appropriate citations.*_​


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## Safety_Guy (Dec 15, 2011)

Some of you want to use a Safety Monitor.....
Make sure that you understand the definition and responsibilities of a Safety Monitor... You can only use a Safety Monitor on a Low Sloped Roof... _Low-slope roof_ means a roof having a slope less than or equal to 4 in 12 (vertical to horizontal).

Effective 09/16/2011, New Fall Protection Directive states that 
*1926.501(b)(10)*
"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 combination of warning line system and guardrail system, warning line system and safety net system, or warning line system and personal fall arrest system, or warning line system and safety monitoring system. Or, on roofs 50-feet (15.25 m) or less in width (see Appendix A to subpart M of this part), the use of a safety monitoring system alone [i.e. without the warning line system] is permitted.

*1926.501(b)(11)*"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.

*1926.501(b)(13)* "Residential construction." Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system unless another provision in paragraph (b) of this section provides for an alternative fall protection measure.

*[URL="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owalink.query_links?src_doc_type=STANDARDS&src_unique_file=1926_0502&src_anchor_name=1926.502(h)"]1926.502(h)[/URL]* "Safety monitoring systems." Safety monitoring systems [See 1926.501(b)(10) and 1926.502(k)] and their use shall comply with the following provisions:

*1926.502(h)(1)* The employer shall designate a competent person to monitor the safety of other employees and the employer shall ensure that the safety monitor complies with the following requirements:

*1926.502(h)(1)(i)* The safety monitor shall be competent to recognize fall hazards;

*1926.502(h)(1)(ii)* The safety monitor shall warn the employee when it appears that the employee is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe manner;

*1926.502(h)(1)(iii)* The safety monitor shall be on the same walking/working surface and within visual sighting distance of the employee being monitored;

*1926.502(h)(1)(iv)* The safety monitor shall be close enough to communicate orally with the employee; and

*1926.502(h)(1)(v)* The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities which could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function.

*1926.502(h)(2)* Mechanical equipment shall not be used or stored in areas where safety monitoring systems are being used to monitor employees engaged in roofing operations on low-slope roofs.

*1926.502(h)(3)* No employee, other than an employee engaged in roofing work [on low-sloped roofs] or an employee covered by a fall protection plan, shall be allowed in an area where an employee is being protected by a safety monitoring system.

*1926.502(h)(4)* Each employee working in a controlled access zone shall be directed to comply promptly with fall hazard warnings from safety monitors.


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## Interloc (Apr 6, 2009)

what a f'n joke...everybody just get private ins.


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## tinner666 (Oct 28, 2008)

Same guidelines I follow. But, it's a flippin joke.


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