Osha Roof Work Safety

Osha regulations for roofing focus on fall protection equipment to help protect the safety and health of roofing workers.

Osha roof work safety.

Contractors and employers who perform construction work must comply with standards in 29 cfr 1926 subpart c general safety and health provisions as well as other applicable photo courtesy of acta safety peterson dean roofing. Figuring out how to work on a roof without fall protection is easier than you think. The extremely high danger zone less than six feet from the roof s edge requires one of the following. Roofing industry fall protection from a to z worker injuries in the construction industry in 2011 the private construction industry experienced 721 fatal work injuries.

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. While some workers may scoff at the idea of ppe it s the employer s responsibility to ensure every worker on the job site is wearing appropriate ppe 29 cfr 1926. 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. Personal protective equipment ppe one of the easiest ways to ensure your workers are operating in safe conditions is usually one of the hardest to enforce.

Osha has designated three work zones on low slope roofs with unprotected edges that are four feet or more above a lower level. 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. 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. Roofing safety all employers in the construction industry must have a safety program.

Roofing work poses safety risks for workers because of the high heights involved in installing roofs. Two hundred and fifty four of the 721 deaths were caused by falls. Proper fall protection measures personal protective equipment ppe and adhering to safe work practices can protect workers from fall hazards. The roofing safety zones.

Occupational safety and health administration osha standards. Fall protection requirements for construction workers doing work while on a roof. Re roofing fact sheet osha fs 3503 2012 english.