Score the risk of this height job before you start, OSHA style, plain English.
For small firms and sole proprietors doing roof, scaffold, tower or mast work who want a simple risk score that actually reflects the job.
If you take an action based on what you read here, that action is yours. We are a guide, not an advisor, and we give this away for free.
General guidance, not professional safety advice. If something's unsafe right now, stop work. Report serious risks to OSHA (www.osha.gov), anonymously if needed.
What the law actually says
- •In construction, OSHA requires fall protection for any employee working 6 feet or more above a lower level (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1)). On scaffolds the trigger is 10 feet (29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)).
- •When a personal fall arrest system is used, the employer must provide for the prompt rescue of an employee in the event of a fall (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(20)).
- •A work-related fatality must be reported to OSHA within 8 hours, and any inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours (29 CFR 1904.39).