Defining Rooftop Fall Protection

Did you happen to read the spring issue of Hixson’s EH&S From Experience newsletter?  In it, we reviewed OSHA’s Walking and Working Surfaces Standard and the updated rules and regulations the standard provides surrounding fall protection and low-sloped roofs.  Below, check out the definitions of some of the key terms referenced in the article, as defined by OSHA:

• Designated area: A distinct portion of a walking-working surface delineated by a warning line in which employees may perform work without additional fall protection.
• Warning line: A barrier erected to warn employees that they are approaching an unprotected side or edge, and which designates an area in which work may take place without the use of other means of fall protection.
• Fall protection: Any equipment, device, or system that prevents an employee from falling from an elevation or mitigates the effect of such a fall.
• Personal fall protection system: A system (including all components) an employer uses to provide protection from falling or to safely arrest an employee’s fall if one occurs. Examples of personal fall protection systems include personal fall arrest systems, positioning systems, and travel restraint systems.
• Travel restraint (tether) line:  A rope or wire rope used to transfer forces from a body support to an anchorage or anchorage connector in a travel restraint system.
• Travel restraint system:  A combination of an anchorage, anchorage connector, lanyard (or other means of connection), and body support that an employer uses to eliminate the possibility of an employee going over the edge of a walking-working surface.
• Qualified describes a person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

Want to learn more about the standard and what it means for your facility? Read the spring edition of EH&S From Experience article or contact Hixson’s Steve Schulte today!

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