Osha has designated three work zones on low slope roofs with unprotected edges that are four feet or more above a lower level.
Low sloped roof fall protection.
Sloping roofs and solar panels.
Just a small slip or loss of balance can lead to a life altering injury or even death.
A safety monitoring system is an alternative fall protection option for low slope roofing work under 29 cfr 1926 501 b 10.
Fall prevention fall protection fall protection flat roof fall safety low sloped roof work osha osha flat roof previous post.
Whenever you are exposed to a fall of more than 3 metres 10 feet off the ground you must be protected by a fall protection system and you must be trained how to use it properly.
Aerial lifts may be used to transport personnel so long as the requirements in 29 cfr 1926 453 which cover aerial lifts are met.
29 cfr 1926 500 defines low slope roof as a roof having a slope less than or equal to 4 in 12 vertical to horizontal 29 cfr 1926 501 b 10 allows the use of a safety monitor on a low slope roof.
With regard to fall protection requirements applicable to the construction work itself 1926 501 b 10 low slope roofs requires conventional fall protection a combination of a monitoring system and warning line or on roofs of 50 feet or less in width a monitoring system alone i e without a warning line be used.
Fall protection osha tagged with.
If employers elect to use a safety monitoring system they must designate a competent person to monitor the safety of workers and to warn them when their work puts them close to a fall hazard.
However not many people know that fall protection must also be used for short term maintenance jobs on existing structures.
See 1926 501 b 2 12 and 13 because of feasibility limitations the standard permits the use of a warning line in combination with other measures instead of conventional fall protection guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems or safety net systems to keep employees away from an edge.
In a few very specific situations low slope roof work some leading edge work precast concrete erection and residential construction.
Roofs that have a slope of 4 12 or less so a slope of 18 5 or less are referred to as low sloped roofs.
The extremely high danger zone less than six feet from the roof s edge requires one of the following.
This means that painters chimney sweeps and workers installing say solar panels are also not allowed to work on sloping roofs higher then 2 5 meters 10 feet if they re not protected against fall accidents.
For information about fall accidents on steep and low sloped roofs check out our blogs about osha s top 5 fall protection violations part 2 steep roofs and part 3 low sloped roofs.
