The University of Chicago
Safety Manual
Occupational Safety and Health Programs
Section 3.17
Fall Protection
Please note that this program has a glossary. The glossary contains the definitions for various terms used in the program. These terms are highlighted in bold print the first time they appear in the body of the program.
All University employees working six feet or more above a lower level shall be protected from fall hazards and falling objects in accordance with this policy.
The following systems and procedures have been designed to prevent employees from falling off, onto or through working levels. Areas covered by this policy include, but are not limited to:
Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for:
Departments affected by this policy are responsible for:
Employees are responsible for complying with the practices within the Fall Protection Policy.
This standard, 29 CFR 1926.500-503, describes the duty to provide fall protection, sets the criteria and practices for all fall protection systems and the required training. It covers hazard assessment, fall protection and safety monitoring systems. Also addressed, are controlled access zones and guardrails, personal fall arrest, warning line system and positioning device systems.
Controlled access zones, when created to limit entrance to areas where leading edge work and other operations are taking place, shall be defined by a controlling line or other means that restricts access. Control lines shall consist of ropes, wires, tapes or equivalent material, supporting stanchions and each shall:
When control lines are used they shall be erected not less than six feet and no more than 25 feet from the unprotected or leading edge, except when precast concrete members are being erected. In the latter case, the control line shall be erected not less than six feet and no more than 60 feet or half the length of the member being erected, whichever is less, from the leading edge.
Controlled access zones when used to determine access to areas where overhand plastering and related work are taking place shall be defined by a control line erected not less than 10 feet and no more than 15 feet from the working edge. Additional control lines shall be erected at each end to enclose the controlled access zone. Only employees engaged in overhand bricklaying or related work are permitted in these zones.
On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are not in place prior to the start of overhand bricklaying operations, controlled access zones shall be enlarged as necessary to enclose all points of access, material handling areas and storage areas.
On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are in place, but need to be removed to allow leading edge work to take place, only the portion of the guardrail necessary to accomplish that day’s work shall be removed.
Each employee at the edge of an excavation six feet deep or more shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, fence barricade or cover. Where walkways are provided to permit employees to cross over excavations, guardrails are required on the walkway.
If a guardrail system is used to protect employees from falls, the system shall meet the following criteria:
The use of a body belt for fall protection is prohibited.
All personal fall arrest systems shall be inspected by the user prior to each use. The inspection shall include examination for wear, damage and other deterioration. If during the inspection the user discovers defects or damage, the user shall immediately remove the component from service.
Dee-rings and snap-hooks shall have a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds without cracking, breaking or suffering permanent deformation. Snaphooks shall be sized to be compatible with the member to which they will be connected, or shall be of a locking configuration.
Snaphooks that are not of the locking type and designed for the following connections shall not be engaged directly to:
A hook is considered to be compatible when the diameter of the dee-ring to which the snaphook is greater than the inside length of the snaphook when measured from the bottom (hinged-end) of the snaphook keeper to the inside curve of the top of the snaphook. Thus, no matter how the dee-ring is positioned or moved with the snaphook attached, the dee-ring cannot touch the outside of the keeper, thus depressing it open. The use of non-locking dee-rings is prohibited.
On suspended scaffolds or similar work platforms with horizontal lifelines that may become vertical lifelines, the devices used to connect to a horizontal lifeline shall be capable of locking in both directions on the lifeline.
Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed and used under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete fall arrest system that maintains a safety factor of at least two. Lifelines shall be protected against being cut or abraded.
Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards that automatically limit free fall distance to two feet or less shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 3,000 pounds applied to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards that do not limit free fall distance to two feet or less, ripstitch lanyards, and tearing and deforming lanyards shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 5,000 pounds applied to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
Ropes and straps used in lanyards, lifelines and strength components of body belts and body harnesses shall be made of synthetic fibers.
Anchorage shall be designed, installed and used under the supervision of a qualified person. Anchorage used to attach personal fall arrest systems shall be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and shall be capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds per person attached.
Lanyard and vertical lifelines shall have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.
Body harness systems shall be set up so that a worker can free fall no more than two feet. All belts or harnesses shall be secured to an anchorage capable of supporting at least twice the potential impact load of an employee's fall or 3,000 pounds, whichever is greater.
Warning line systems used on roofs shall consist of ropes, wires or chains, and supporting stanchions. The warning lines shall be constructed as follows:
When mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall be erected not less than six feet from the roof edge parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation, and not less than 10 feet from the roof edge perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation.
When
mechanical equipment is not being used, the warning line shall be erected not
less than six feet from the roof edge.
All employees in a hoist area shall be protected from falling six feet or more by guardrail systems or personal fall arrest systems. If guardrail systems or portions thereof must be removed to facilitate hoisting operations, as during the landing of materials, and a worker must lean through the access opening to receive or guide equipment and materials, that employee shall be protected by a personal fall arrest system.
Holes, Openings, Ramps, Runways and Other Walkways
All holes, openings, ramps, runways, and other walkways crossing or covering openings six feet or more, shall be protected with a guardrail system.
All employees working on, at or near wall openings where the bottom edge of the wall opening is six feet or more and the inside bottom edge of the wall opening is less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface, shall be protected by use of either a guardrail system or a personal fall arrest system.
Covers used over openings in the roadways and vehicular aisles shall meet the following criteria:
Low-Sloped Roofs
All employees working on low-sloped roofs with unprotected sides and edges six feet or more above the lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems or a combination warning line system and personal fall arrest system, or a combination warning line system and a safety monitoring system.
Roofs that are 50 feet or less in width can use a safety monitoring system without a warning line system.
Steep Roofs
All employees on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges six feet or more above the lower levels shall be protected by either guardrail systems with toeboards or a personal fall arrest system.
Building Specific Roofs
The following buildings have roof specific fall protection systems and requirements:
Protection from Falling Objects
When guardrail systems are used to prevent materials from falling from one level to another, any opening shall be small enough to prevent passage of potential falling objects. No materials or equipment, except masonry or mortar shall be stored within four feet of working edges. Excess mortar, broken or scattered masonry, and all other materials and debris shall be kept clear of the working area by removal at regular intervals.
During roofing work, materials and equipment shall not be stored within six feet of a roof edge unless guardrails are erected at the edge, and materials piled, grouped, or stacked near a roof edge shall be stable and self-supporting.
Canopies
When canopies are used as protection from falling objects they shall be constructed strong enough to prevent collapse and to prevent penetration by any objects that fall onto them.
Toeboards
When toeboards are used as protection from falling objects, they shall be erected along the edges of the overhead walking or working surface for a distance sufficient to protect persons working below. Toeboards shall be capable of withstanding a force of at least 50 pounds applied in any downward or outward direction at any point along the toeboard. Toeboards shall be a minimum of three and one half inches tall from their top edge to the level of the walking/working surface, have no more than 0.25 inches clearance above the walking/working surface, and be solid or have openings no larger than one inch in size.
Where tools, equipment, or materials are piled higher than the top edge of a toeboard, paneling or screening shall be erected from the walking/working surface or toeboard to the top of a guardrail system's top rail or midrail, for a distance sufficient to protect persons below.
If no fall protection, including personal fall arrest systems, warning line systems, controlled access zones or guardrail system can be implemented, then a safety monitoring system shall be established. The responsible department shall designate a safety monitor to monitor the safety of the workers. The safety monitor shall:
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-sloped roofs.
No worker, other then one engaged in work on low-sloped roofs, or covered by a personal fall arrest system, shall be allowed in an area where the employee is being protected by a safety monitoring system.
All workers in a controlled access zone shall be instructed to promptly comply with all fall warnings issued by the safety monitors.
All employees that are exposed to fall hazards shall be trained in the recognition and minimization of such hazards. Training shall be arranged through Environmental Health and Safety. The employee shall be trained in the following areas:
Environmental Health and Safety
Issued: 05/01/00
Revised: 09/06/08