714 Fall Protection Program

How to Evaluate Fall Hazards

Determine Fall Distances

As we mentioned earlier, OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry and eight feet in longshoring operations. In addition, OSHA requires that fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance.

• The four-foot rule. In general industry, workers must be protected from fall hazards on walking-working surfaces where they could fall four feet or more to a lower level. examples of fall hazards from which employees must be protected by the "four foot rule" include:

• Holes and skylights in walking-working surfaces
• Wall openings that have an inside bottom edge less than 39 inches above a walking-working surface
• Established floors, mezzanines, balconies, and walkways with unprotected sides and edges

• The six-foot rule. OSHA's construction standard requires the use of fall protection when construction workers are working at heights of six feet or greater above a lower level. This is called the "six-foot rule" and applies only to construction. For example, it might require fall protection according to the six-foot rule for a worker who is:

• on a ramp, runway, or another walkway;
• at the edge of an excavation;
• in a hoist area;
• on a steep roof;
• on, at, above, or near wall openings;
• on a walking or working surface with holes (including skylights) or unprotected sides or edges; or
• above a lower level where leading edges are under construction; on the face of formwork and reinforcing steel.

In all industries, workers must be protected at any height from falling onto or into dangerous equipment such as machinery with open drive belts, pulleys or gears or open vats of degreasing agents or acid.

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