Osha Safety Rules For Roofing

If you are a roofing contractor in the united states with at least one employee you are required to abide by osha safety standards.

Osha safety rules for roofing.

Or on roofs 50 feet 15 25 m or less in width the use of a safety monitoring system alone is permitted 29 cfr 1926 501 b 10. 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. Protecting roofing workers osha 3755 2015 english. Lay headers sheets of roofing or other materials no closer than 5 feet inside the edges of the roof and parallel to the roofline.

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. The osha general industry standards exclude construction as well as agriculture and marine industries which also have their own standards but both standards can sometimes apply to the same. The safety monitor is always a competent person 29 cfr 1926 500 b. The warning line system shall consist of ropes wires or chains and supporting stanchions 29 cfr 1926 502 f 2.

Since roofs rarely have any sort of built in protective rails employers must provide fall protection for roof workers. Reducing falls during residential construction. Osha occupational safety and health administration is a us government agency regulating workplace safety. Osha requires fall protection for workers on surfaces over six feet off the ground that do not have protection along the surface edges.

Labor department s osha acts to protect residential roofing workers agency rescinds clinton era directive and gives workers more safeguards against falls. Two hundred and fifty four of the 721 deaths were caused by falls. Two osha standards can apply 29 cfr 1910 which governs general industry safety standards and 29 cfr 1926 which governs construction sites specifically. Osha safety standards especially for roof fall protection can be a source of confusion for many industrial companies.

Osha news release december 22 2010. Re roofing fact sheet osha fs 3503 2012 english. If you work alone you are not required to abide by osha standards. 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.