“Floor hole” means an opening measuring less than 12 inches but
more than 1 inch in its least dimension in any floor, roof, or platform
through which materials but not persons may fall, such as a belt hole,
pipe opening, or slot opening.
“Floor opening” means an opening measuring 12 inches or more
in its least dimension in any floor, roof, or platform, through which
persons may fall.
“Handrail” means a rail used to provide employees with a handhold
for support.
“Low pitched roof” means a roof having a slope less than or equal
to four in twelve.
“Mechanical equipment” means all motor or human propelled wheeled
equipment except for wheelbarrows, mopcarts, robotic thermoplastic welders
and robotic crimpers.
“Nose, nosing” means that portion of a tread projecting beyond
the face of the riser immediately below.
“Platform” means a walking/working surface for persons, elevated
above the surrounding floor or ground, such as a balcony or platform for
the operation of machinery and equipment.
“Riser height” means the vertical distance from the top of a
tread to the top of the next higher tread or platform/landing or the distance
from the top of a platform/landing to the top of the next higher tread
or platform/landing.
“Roof” means the exterior surface on the top of a building. This
does not include floors which, because a building has not been completely
built, temporarily become the top surface of a building.
“Roofing work” means the hoisting, storage, application, and removal
of roofing materials and equipment, including related insulation, sheet
metal, and vapor barrier work, but not including the construction of the
roof deck.
“Runway” means a passageway for persons, elevated above the surrounding
floor or ground level, such as a footwalk along shafting or a walkway
between buildings.
“Safety monitoring system” means a safety system in which a competent
person monitors the safety of all employees in a roofing crew, and warns
them when it appears to the monitor that they are unaware of the hazard
or are acting in an unsafe manner. The competent person must be on the
same roof and within visual distance of the employees, and must be close
enough to verbally communicate with the employees.
“Stair platform” means an extended step or landing breaking a
continuous run of stairs.
“Stairrail system” means a vertical barrier erected along the
unprotected sides and edges of a stairway to prevent employees from falling
to lower levels. The top surface of a stairrail system may also be a "handrail."
“Stairs, stairways” means a series of steps leading from one level
or floor to another, or leading to platforms, pits, boiler rooms, crossovers,
or around machinery, tanks, and other equipment that are used more or
less continuously or routinely by employees or only occasionally by specific
individuals. For the purpose of this part, a series of steps and landings
having three or more rises constitutes stairs or stairway.
“Standard railing” means a vertical barrier erected along exposed
edges of a floor opening, wall opening, ramp, platform, or runway to prevent
falls of persons.
“Standard strength and construction” means any construction of
railings, covers, or other guards that meets the requirements of this
part.
“Toeboard” means a vertical barrier at floor level erected along
exposed edges of a floor opening, wall opening, platform, runway, or ramp
to prevent falls of materials.
“Tread depth” means the horizontal distance from front to back
of tread (excluding nosing, if any).
“Unprotected side or edge” means any side or edge of a roof perimeter
where there is no wall three feet (.9 meters) or more in height.
“Wall opening” means an opening at least 30 inches high and 18
inches wide, in any wall or partition, through which persons may fall,
such as an opening for a window, a yard arm doorway or chute opening.
“Work area” means that portion of a roof where roofing work is
being performed.
(1) General provisions. This part applies to temporary or emergency conditions
where there is danger of employees or materials falling through floor,
roof, or wall openings, or from stairways, runways, ramps, open sided
floors, open sides of structures, bridges, or other open sided walking
or working surfaces.
(2) The employer shall determine if the walking/working surfaces on which
its employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to
support employees safely. Employees shall be allowed to work on those
surfaces only when the surfaces have the requisite strength and structural
integrity.
(3) When guardrails or covers required by this section must be temporarily
removed to perform a specific task, the area shall be constantly attended
by a monitor to warn others of the hazard or shall be protected by a movable
barrier.
(4) Guarding of floor openings and floor holes.
(a) Floor openings shall be guarded by a standard railing and toe boards
or cover, as specified in subsections (4)(g) and (7) of this section.
In general, the railing shall be provided on all exposed sides, except
at entrances to stairways. All vehicle service pits shall have a cover
or removable type standard guardrail. When not in use, pits shall be
covered or guarded. Where vehicle service pits are to be used again
immediately, and the service person is within a 50 foot distance of
the unguarded pit and also within line of sight of the unguarded pit,
the cover or guardrail need not be replaced between uses. Where vehicle
service pits are used frequently, the perimeters of the pits shall be
delineated by high visibility, luminescent, skid resistant paint. Such
painted delineation shall be kept clean and free of extraneous materials.
(b) Ladderway floor openings or platforms shall be guarded by standard
railings with standard toe boards on all exposed sides, except at entrance
to opening, with the passage through the railing either provided with
a swinging gate or so offset that a person cannot walk directly into
the opening.
(c) Hatchways and chute floor openings shall be guarded by one of the
following:
(i) Hinged covers of standard strength and construction and a standard
railing with only one exposed side. When the opening is not in use,
the cover shall be closed or the exposed side shall be guarded at
both top and intermediate positions by removable standard railings;
(ii) A removable standard railing with toe board on not more than
two sides of the opening and fixed standard railings with toe boards
on all other exposed sides. The removable railing shall be kept in
place when the opening is not in use and shall be hinged or otherwise
mounted so as to be conveniently replaceable.
(d) Wherever there is danger of falling through a skylight opening,
and the skylight itself is not capable of sustaining the weight of a
two hundred pound person with a safety factor of four, standard guardrails
shall be provided on all exposed sides or the skylight shall be covered
in accordance with (g) of this subsection.
(e) Pits and trap door floor openings shall be guarded by floor opening
covers of standard strength and construction. While the cover is not
in place, the pit or trap openings shall be protected on all exposed
sides by removable standard railings.
(f) Manhole floor openings shall be guarded by standard covers which
need not be hinged in place. While the cover is not in place, the manhole
opening shall be protected by standard railings.
(g) All floor opening or hole covers shall be capable of supporting
the maximum potential load but never less than two hundred pounds (with
a safety factor of four).
(i) All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent accidental
displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees.
(ii) All covers shall be color coded or they shall be marked with
the word “hole” or “cover” to provide warning of the hazard.
(iii) If it becomes necessary to remove the cover, a monitor shall
remain at the opening until the cover is replaced. The monitor shall
advise persons entering the area of the hazard, shall prevent exposure
to the fall hazard and shall perform no other duties.
(h) Floor holes, into which persons can accidentally walk, shall be
guarded by either a standard railing with standard toe board on all
exposed sides, or a floor hole cover of standard strength and construction
that is secured against accidental displacement. While the cover is
not in place, the floor hole shall be protected by a standard railing.
(5) Guarding of wall openings.
(a) Wall openings, from which there is a drop of more than 4 feet,
and the bottom of the opening is less than 3 feet above the working
surface, shall be guarded as follows:
(i) When the height and placement of the opening in relation to the
working surface is such that either a standard rail or intermediate
rail will effectively reduce the danger of falling, one or both shall
be provided;
(ii) The bottom of a wall opening, which is less than 4 inches above
the working surface, regardless of width, shall be protected by a
standard toe board or an enclosing screen either of solid construction
or as specified in subsection (7)(f)(ii) of this section.
(b) An extension platform, outside a wall opening, onto which materials
can be hoisted for handling shall have standard guardrails on all exposed
sides or equivalent. One side of an extension platform may have removable
railings in order to facilitate handling materials.
(c) When a chute is attached to an opening, the provisions of (a) of
this subsection shall apply, except that a toe board is not required.
(6) Guarding of open sided surfaces.
(a) Every open sided floor, platform or surface four feet or more above
adjacent floor or ground level shall be guarded by a standard railing,
or the equivalent, as specified in subsection (7)(a) of this section,
on all open sides, except where there is entrance to a ramp, stairway,
or fixed ladder. The railing shall be provided with a standard toe board
wherever, beneath the open sides, persons can pass, or there is moving
machinery, or there is equipment with which falling materials could
create a hazard.
(b) Runways shall be guarded by a standard railing, or the equivalent,
as specified in subsection (7) of this section, on all open sides, 4
feet or more above the floor or ground level. Wherever tools, machine
parts, or materials are likely to be used on the runway, a toe board
shall also be provided on each exposed side.
(c) Runways used exclusively for special purposes may have the railing
on one side omitted where operating conditions necessitate such omission,
providing the falling hazard is minimized by using a runway not less
than 18 inches wide.
(d) Where employees entering upon runways become thereby exposed to
machinery, electrical equipment, or other danger not a falling hazard,
additional guarding shall be provided.
(e) Regardless of height, open sided floors, walkways, platforms, or
runways above or adjacent to dangerous equipment, pickling or galvanizing
tanks, degreasing units, and similar hazards, shall be guarded with
a standard railing and toe board.
(f) Open sides of gardens, patios, recreation areas and similar areas
located on roofs of buildings or structures shall be guarded by permanent
standard railings or the equivalent. Where a planting area has been
constructed adjacent to the open sides of the roof and the planting
area is raised above the normal walking surface of the roof area, the
open side of the planting area shall also be protected with standard
railings or the equivalent.
(7) Standard specifications.
(a) A standard railing shall consist of top rail, intermediate rail,
toe board, and posts, and shall have a vertical height of 42 inches
(1.1m) plus or minus 3 inches (8cm)(39-45) inches from upper surface
of top rail to floor, platform, runway, or ramp level. When conditions
warrant, the height of the top edge may exceed the 45-inch height, provided
the guardrail system meets all other criteria of this subsection. The
intermediate rail shall be halfway between the top rail and the floor,
platform, runway, or ramp. The ends of the rails shall not overhang
the terminal posts except where such overhang does not constitute a
projection hazard.
Note: When employers are using stilts, the top edge
height of the top rail, or equivalent member, shall be increased an amount
equal to the height of the stilts.
(b) Minimum requirements for standard railings under various types
of construction are specified in the following items:
(i) For wood railings, the posts shall be of at least 2 inch by 4
inch stock spaced not to exceed 8 feet; the top rail shall be of at
least 2 inch by 4 inch stock and each length of lumber shall be smooth
surfaced throughout the length of the railing. The intermediate rail
shall be of at least 1 inch by 6 inch stock.
(ii) For pipe railings, posts and top and intermediate railings shall
be at least 1 1/2 inches nominal OD diameter with posts spaced not
more than 8 feet on centers.
(iii) For structural steel railings, posts and top and intermediate
rails shall be of 2 inch by 2 inch by 3/8 inch angles or other metal
shapes of equivalent bending strength, with posts spaced not more
than 8 feet on centers.
(iv) For wire rope railings, the top and intermediate railings shall
be at least 1/2 inch fiber core rope, or the equivalent to meet strength
factor and deflection of (b)(v) of this subsection. Posts shall be
spaced not more than 8 feet on centers. The rope shall be stretched
taut, so as to present a minimum deflection.
(v) The anchoring of posts and framing of members for railings of
all types shall be of such construction that the completed structure
shall be capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied
in any direction at any point on the top rail, with a minimum of deflection.
(vi) Railings receiving heavy stresses from employees trucking or
handling materials shall be provided additional strength by the use
of heavier stock, closer spacing of posts, bracing, or by other means.
(vii) Other types, sizes, and arrangements of railing construction
are acceptable, provided they meet the following conditions:
(A) A smooth surfaced top rail at a height above floor, platform,
runway, or ramp level of between 39 inches and 45 inches;
(B) When the 200-pound (890N) test load specified in subsection
(6)(b)(v) of this section is applied in a downward direction, the
top edge of the guardrail shall not deflect to a height less than
39 inches (1.0m) above the walking/working level. Guardrail system
components selected and constructed in accordance with this part
will be deemed to meet this requirement.
(C) Protection between top rail and floor, platform, runway, ramp,
or stair treads, equivalent at least to that afforded by a standard
intermediate rail;
(D) Elimination of overhang of rail ends unless such overhang does
not constitute a hazard.
(c) (i) A standard toe board shall be 4 inches minimum in vertical
height from its top edge to the level of the floor, platform, runway,
or ramp. It shall be securely fastened in place and have not more
than 1/4 inch clearance above floor level. It may be made of any substantial
material, either solid, or with openings not over 1 inch in greatest
dimension.
(ii) Where material is piled to such height that a standard toe board
does not provide protection, paneling, or screening from floor to
intermediate rail or to top rail shall be provided.
(d) Floor opening covers shall be of any material that meets the following
strength requirements:
(i) Conduits, trenches, and manhole covers and their supports, when
located in roadways, and vehicular aisles shall be designed to carry
a truck rear axle load of at least 2 times the maximum intended load;
(ii) All floor opening covers shall be capable of supporting the
maximum potential load but never less than two hundred pounds (with
a safety factor of four).
(A) All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent
accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees.
(B) All covers shall be color coded or they shall be marked with
the word “hole” or “cover” to provide warning of the hazard..
(C) If it becomes necessary to remove the cover, a monitor shall
remain at the opening until the cover is replaced. The monitor shall
advise persons entering the area of the hazard, shall prevent exposure
to the fall hazard and shall perform no other duties.
(e) Skylight openings that create a falling hazard shall be guarded
with a standard railing, or covered in accordance with (d)(ii) of this
subsection.
(f) Wall opening protection shall meet the following requirements:
(i) Barriers shall be of such construction and mounting that, when
in place at the opening, the barrier is capable of withstanding a
load of at least 200 pounds applied in any direction (except upward),
with a minimum of deflection at any point on the top rail or corresponding
member.
(ii) Screens shall be of such construction and mounting that they
are capable of withstanding a load of at least 200 pounds applied
horizontally at any point on the near side of the screen. They may
be of solid construction of grill work with openings not more than
8 inches long, or of slat work with openings not more than 4 inches
wide with length unrestricted.
(1) Roofing brackets shall be constructed to fit the pitch of the roof.
(2) Securing: Brackets shall be secured in place by nailing in addition
to the pointed metal projections. When it is impractical to nail brackets,
rope supports shall be used. When rope supports are used, they shall consist
of first grade manila of at least 3/4 inch diameter, or equivalent.
(3) Crawling boards or chicken ladders.
(a) Crawling boards shall be not less than ten inches wide and one
inch thick, having cleats 1 x 1 1/2 inches.
(i) The cleats shall be equal in length to the width of the board
and spaced at equal intervals not to exceed twenty-four inches.
(ii) Nails shall be driven through and clinched on the underside.
(iii) The crawling board shall extend from the ridge pole to the
eaves when used in connection with roof construction, repair, or maintenance.
(b) A firmly fastened lifeline of at least 3/4 inch diameter rope,
or equivalent, shall be strung beside each crawling board for a handhold.
(c) Crawling boards shall be secured to the roof by means of adequate
ridge hooks or other effective means.
(1) Width. Ramps, runways and inclined walkways shall be eighteen inches
or more wide.
(2) Standard railings. Ramps, runways and inclined walkways shall be
provided with standard railings when located four feet or more above ground
or floor level.
(3) Ramp specifications. Ramps, runways and walkways shall not be inclined
more than twenty degrees from horizontal and when inclined shall be cleated
or otherwise treated to prevent a slipping hazard on the walking surface.
For
printing