Osha Rules For Roof Work

High elevations unprotected roof edges.

Osha rules for roof work. 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. 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. Roof safety is a system of preventive measures when performing work and repairs on rooftops because it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the construction industry.

Roofing safety all employers in the construction industry must have a safety program. This includes guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems and safety nets. Many state plan states adopt standards identical to federal standards. States with osha approved occupational safety and health programs must set standards that are at least as effective as the federal standards.

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. Previously osha stated no safe distance when it came to working on an unprotected roof edge. 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. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry and the occupational safety and health administration osha cites that falls from roofs account for 34 of all.

Osha regulations for roofing focus on fall protection equipment to help protect the safety and health of roofing workers. However under the new rule if the distance is less than 6 feet from the roof edge conventional fall protection systems are required. 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. Fall protection requirements for construction workers doing work while on a roof.

Falls from roofs roofing work can be dangerous even under the best conditions. 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.