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Safety & Health Fact Sheet Cal/OSHA Consultation Service
Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Fall Protection in Construction

Falls are among the most common reasons for workplace Factors Affecting Level of Fall Hazard
injuries and fatalities in California. Falls generally occur
when employees work at a height and they are not • Fall height
adequately protected. Some of the examples of working • Skill or training of worker
at heights are when employees work on elevated work • Physical work environment

surfaces, ladders, stairs, scaffolds, aerial devices, roofs, • Duration of exposure to fall hazard
bridges, trusses, beams, purlins, plates, suspended

staging, catwalks, walkways, etc. Helpful Safety Information
Falls in construction frequently involve slippery, cluttered, • Observe fall protection trigger heights at all times

or unstable walking/working surfaces, unprotected 30’ Connecting steel (Iron workers)
edges, floor holes and wall openings, unsafely positioned 20’ Most roofing work
ladders, and misuse of fall protection devices.
15’ Panelized roof systems, residential framing
Key Cal/OSHA Requirements and roofing activities, work on 4” nominal or
wider structural members and other than
connecting steel (iron workers)
Title 8 of California Code of Regulations (T8CCR) 7 ½’ Work on unprotected platforms, scaffolds, or
specify many requirements for fall protection in edges of structures (within 6’)
construction. Below are selected applicable regulations. 6’ Work with rebar (rod busters)
Refer to T8CCR for complete set of requirements.

• Structural wood framing workers must be protected from
Selected T8CCR Sections falls of 15’ or more by one or more of these:
1541 Mentions fall protection in excavation works Guardrails; Safety Nets; Personal fall protection;
1610.7 Covers fall protection in cranes & derricks Parapets at least 24” high; Aerial lifting devices;
1620 Covers guard rails Fall Protection plan
1669 General fall protection • Most roofing work does not require any fall protection until
1670 Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Personal Fall Restraint over 20’.
Systems and Positioning Devices • Residential tract work does not need fall protection until
1671 Safety nets
over 15’.
1671.1 Fall protection plan • 100% Tie-off means
1671.2 Mentions fall protection in controlled access zones protected from falls at all
and safety monitoring systems times even when moving
1710 Mentions fall protection for erection of structures
from point to point. Some
1712 Includes fall protection for works on reinforcing steel times this may require two
and other similar projections
1716.1 Mentions fall protection in structural wood framing lanyards
1724 Covers fall protection in roofing operations • In steel erection work, connectors can work without fall
1730 Covers more on fall protection in roofing operations protection where fall distance does not exceed 30’.
However, safety harnesses must be worn and used in all
1731 Covers fall protection for roofing work on tract homes
other work where the fall distance exceeds 15’.
In addition, fall protection is covered within many other • Keep workplace in good housekeeping order and free of
regulations that are not specific only to construction. tripping hazards.
Some of such T8CCR regulations are: • Never tie knots in lanyards or rope grabs.

• 3648 - fall protection while working with aerial device • In metal decking work, workers must be protected from falls
• 3642 - fall protection while working on elevated platform of 15’ or more by one or more of these:
• 3209, 3210 - mention fall protection with guardrails Guardrails; Safety Nets; Personal fall protection;
• 3299 - fall protection while working on powered platforms Aerial lifting devices; Fall Protection plan

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