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2.  Falls are the leading cause of death in construction  Falls from as little as 4 to 6 feet can cause serious lost-time accidents and sometimes death  Falls from 11 feet result in death 50% of the time  Every worker on a job site is at risk of a fall 2 Falls in Construction

3. 3 1.Guardrails 2.Safety nets 3.Personal fall arrest system 4.Covers 1926.502 Nine Types of Fall Protection 5.Positioning device systems 6.Warning line systems 7.Controlled access zones leading edge, precast concrete, overhand bricklaying 8.Safety monitoring 9.Fall protection plans Conventional Fall Protection Systems  These 4 systems should be used for most situations  The other 5 systems are for: Some unique situations have unique fall protection methods Sometimes conventional fall protection is infeasible

4.  Top rails 42 inches high, plus or minus 3 inches  Midrails half-way 4 Top Rail Mid- Rail Toeboard Guardrails Guardrails

5.  Must withstand 200 lbs outward and 200 lbs downward force  Vertical intermediate member openings (stud walls): No greater than 19” opening 5 Outward force Guardrails Guardrails Downward force

6. 6 Guardrails Guardrails  Wire rope must not deflect greater than 3 inches outward or downward and capable of withstanding 200 lbs. of force  Flagged every 6 feet  Be at least ¼ inch in diameter

7.  Screens and mesh, when used, shall extend from the top rail to the walking/working level and along the entire opening between top rail supports.  Intermediate members (such as balusters), when used between posts, shall be not more than 19 inches apart.  Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid panels, and equivalent structural members shall be capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 150 pounds  Guardrail systems shall be so surfaced as to prevent injury to an employee from punctures or lacerations, and to prevent snagging of clothing.  The ends of all top rails and midrails shall not overhang the terminal posts, except where such overhang does not constitute a projection hazard.  Steel banding and plastic banding shall not be used as top rails or midrails. 7

8.  When guardrail systems are used at hoisting areas, a chain, gate or removable guardrail section shall be placed across the access opening between guardrail sections when hoisting operations are not taking place.  When guardrail systems are used at holes, they shall be erected on all unprotected sides or edges of the hole.  When guardrail systems are used around holes used for the passage of materials, the hole shall have not more than two sides provided with removable guardrail sections to allow the passage of materials. When the hole is not in use, it shall be closed over with a cover, or a guardrail system shall be provided along all unprotected sides or edges. 8

9.  When guardrail systems are used around holes which are used as points of access (such as ladderways), they shall be provided with a gate, or be so offset that a person cannot walk directly into the hole.  Guardrail systems used on ramps and runways shall be erected along each unprotected side or edge. 9

10.  MIOSHA Fact Sheets  MIOSHA CSHD-COM-04-2R2 10