How Close Should Safety Nets Be To The Working Surface
OSHA Laws
Fall Protection in Structure
-taken from OSHA 3146-05R; 2015
Depression Slope Roofing
Each employee engaged in covering activities on low-slope(slopes 4:12) roofs with unprotected sides (1) and edges vi feet (1.viii meters) or more in a higher place lower levels shall exist protected from falling by guardrail systems, safety cyberspace systems, personal autumn abort systems or a combination of a warning line system and guardrail system, warning line system and safety net organization, alert line system and personal fall arrest organisation, or warning line arrangement and prophylactic monitoring system. On roofs 50 anxiety (15.24 meters) or less in width, the utilize of a safety monitoring system without a alert line system is permitted.
Fall Protection Systems Criteria and Practices;
Guardrail Systems
If the employer chooses to utilize guardrail systems to protect workers from falls, the systems must meet the following criteria. Toprails and midrails of guardrail systems must be at to the lowest degree ane-quarter inch (0.6 centimeters) nominal diameter or thickness to foreclose cuts and lacerations. If wire rope is used for toprails, it must exist flagged at not more than 6 feet intervals (1.viii meters) with high-visibility material. Manila, plastic, or synthetic rope used for toprails or midrails must be inspected every bit ofttimes as necessary to ensure forcefulness and stability.
The top edge height of toprails, or (equivalent) guardrails must be 42 inches (1.one meters) plus or minus 3 inches (8 centimeters), above the walking/working level. When workers are using stilts, the elevation edge height of the tiptop track, or equivalent member, must be increased an amount equal to the top of the stilts.
Screens, midrails, mesh, intermediate vertical members, or equivalent intermediate structural members must exist installed betwixt the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking/working surface when there are no walls or parapet walls at least 21 inches(53 centimeters) high. When midrails are used, they must exist installed at a height midway between the top edge of the guardrail arrangement and the walking/working level. When screens and mesh are used, they must extend from the top rails to the walking/working level and along the entire opening betwixt superlative rail supports. Intermediate members, such as balusters, when used between posts, shall not be more than 19 inches (48 centimeters) apart.
Other structural members, such as additional midrails and architectural panels, shall be installed so that there are no openings in the guardrail arrangement more than 19 inches (48 centimeters).
The guardrail organization must be capable of withstanding a strength of at least 200 pounds (890 newtons) practical within two inches of the top edge in whatsoever outward or downward management. When the 200 pounds (890 newtons) test is applied in a downward direction, the top edge of the guardrail must not deflect to a height less than 39 inches (1 meter) above the walking/working level.
Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, solid panels, and equivalent structural members shall be capable of withstanding a force of at least 150 pounds (667 newtons) applied in any downward or outward management at any bespeak along the midrail or other member.
Guardrail systems shall be surfaced to protect workers from punctures or lacerations and to prevent clothing from snagging.
The ends of top rails and midrails must not overhang final posts, except where such overhand does non constitute a projection hazard.
When guardrail systems are used at hoisting areas, a chain, gate, or removable guardrail department must be placed beyond the access opening between guardrail sections when hoisting operations are not taking place.
At holes, guardrail systems must be set upwards on all unprotected sides or edges. When holes are used for the passage of materials, the pigsty shall have not more than two sides with removable guardrail sections. When the hole is not in use, information technology must be covered or provided with guardrails forth all unprotected sides or edges.
If guardrail systems are used around holes that are used as access points (such as ladderways), gates must be used or the point of access must exist offset to forestall adventitious walking into the hole.
If guardrails are used at unprotected sides or edges of ramps and runways, they must be erected on each unprotected side or border.
Personal Fall Arrest Systems
These consist of an anchorage, connectors, and a body harness and may include a deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations. If a personal fall arrest system is used for autumn protection, it must do the following:
- Limit maximum arresting strength on an employee to 900 pounds (iv kilonewtons) when used with a body belt;
- Limit maximum absorbing force on an employee of 1,800 pounds (8 kilonewtons) when used with a body harness;
- Be rigged and so that an employee tin neither free fall more than half dozen feet (1.eight meters) nor contact any lower level;
- Bring an employee to a complete terminate and limit maximum deceleration distance an employee travels to iii.five anxiety (1.07 meters); and
- Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact free energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.viii meters) or the free autumn distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.
Personal fall arrest systems must be inspected prior to each use for wear damage, and other deterioration. Defective components must exist removed from service. Dee-rings and snaphooks must have a minimum tensile force of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons). Dee-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a minimum tensile load of three,600 pounds (xvi kilonewtons) without keen, breaking, or suffering permanent deformation.
Snaphooks shall exist sized to be compatible with the fellow member to which they volition be connected, or shall be of a locking configuration.
Unless the snaphook is a locking type and designed for the post-obit connections, they shall non be engaged (a) directly to webbing, rope or wire rope; (b) to each other; (c) to a dee-ring to which another snaphook or other connecter is attached; (d) to a horizontal lifeline; or (eastward) to whatever object incompatible in shape or dimension relative to the snaphook, thereby causing the connected object to depress the snaphook keeper and release unintentionally.
OSHA considers a hook to be compatible when the diameter of the dee-band to which the snaphook is fastened is greater than the inside length of the snaphook when measured from the bottom (hinged terminate) of the snaphook keeper to the inside curve of the top of the snaphook. Thus, no matter how the dee-ring is positioned or moved (rolls) with the snaphook attached, the dee-band cannot touch on outside the keeper, thus depressing it open. Equally of January i, 1998, the use of nonlocking snaphooks will exist prohibited.
On suspended scaffolds or similar piece of work platforms with horizontal lifelines that may become vertical lifelines, the devices used to connect to a horizontal lifeline shall exist capable of locking in both directions on the lifeline.
Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used nether the supervision of a qualified person, as role of a consummate fall arrest organization that maintains a safety factor of at least two. Lifelines shall exist protected against being cut or abraded.
Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards that automatically limit gratuitous fall altitude to two feet (.61 meters) or less shall exist capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of iii,000 pounds (13.three kilonewtons) practical to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
Self-retracting lifelines and lanyards that practise not limit free fall distance to ii feet (0.61 meters) or less, ripstitch lanyards, and tearing and deforming lanyards shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of five,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons) applied to the device with the lifeline or lanyard in the fully extended position.
Ropes and straps (webbing) used in lanyards, lifelines, and forcefulness components of body belts and body harnesses shall be made of constructed fibers.
Anchorages shall be designed, installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person, as office of a complete personal fall arrest system that maintains a safety cistron of at least 2, i.due east., capable of supporting at to the lowest degree twice the weight expected to be imposed upon it. Anchorages used to attach personal fall arrest systems shall be contained of any anchorage being used to support or append platforms and must be capable of supporting at least v,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons) per person fastened.
Lanyards and vertical lifelines must have a minimum breaking strength of five,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons).
Positioning Device Systems
These body belt or body harness systems are to be set upwardly so that a worker can costless fall no farther than 2 feet (0.six meters). They shall exist secured to an anchorage capable of supporting at to the lowest degree twice the potential impact load of an employee'south fall or 3,000 pounds (thirteen.iii kilonewtons), whichever is greater. Requirements for snaphooks, dee-rings, and other connectors used with positioning device systems must run into the same criteria equally those for personal fall abort systems.
Rubber Monitoring Systems
When no other alternative fall protection has been implemented, the employer shall implement a safety monitoring organization. Employers must engage a competent person to monitor the safety of workers and the employer shall ensure that the rubber monitor:
- Is competent in the recognition of fall hazards;
- Is capable of warning workers of fall hazard dangers and in detecting unsafe work practices;
- Is operating on the same walking/working surfaces of the workers and can see them;
- Is close enough to work operations to communicate orally with workers and has no other duties to distract from the monitoring role.
Mechanical equipment shall not exist used or stored in areas where safety monitoring systems are existence used to monitor employees engaged in covering operations on low-sloped roofs.
No worker, other than i engaged in roofing piece of work (on depression-sloped roofs) or i covered by a fall protection program, shall be allowed in an area where an employee is being protected by a rubber monitoring organisation.
All workers in a controlled access zone shall be instructed to promptly comply with fall adventure warnings issued past the safe monitors.
Safety Net Systems
Safety nets must be installed as shut as practicable nether the walking/working surface on which employees are working and never more than 30 feet (9.1 meters) beneath such levels. Defective nets shall not exist used. Safety nets shall exist inspected at least once a week for wear, impairment, and other deterioration. The maximum size of each safety net mesh opening shall not exceed 36 square inches (230 square centimeters) nor be longer than six inches (fifteen centimeters) on any side, and the openings, measured center-to-center, of mesh ropes or webbing, shall not exceed 6 inches (15 centimeters). All mesh crossings shall exist secured to prevent enlargement of the mesh opening. Each rubber net or section shall accept a border rope for webbing with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.ii kilonewtons). Connections between safety net panels shall be as strong equally integral net components and exist spaced no more than 6 inches (fifteen centimeters) apart.
Safe nets shall be installed with sufficient clearance underneath to foreclose contact with the surface or structure below.
When nets are used on bridges, the potential fall area from the walking/working surface to the internet shall exist unobstructed.
Safety nets must extend outward from the outermost project of the work surface equally follows:
| Vertical distance from working level to horizontal plane of net. | Minimum required horizontal distance of outer border of internet from the edge of the working surface. |
| Upwards to 5 feet (1.5 m) | viii feet (ii.4 m) |
| More than 5 feet (one.5 k) upwards to 10 feet (3 one thousand) | 10 feet (three g) |
| More than 10 feet (3 m) | 13 feet (three.ix m) |
Safety nets shall be capable of absorbing an affect force of a drop examination consisting of a 400-pound (180 kilograms) pocketbook of sand 30 inches (76 centimeters) in diameter dropped from the highest walking/working surface at which workers are exposed, but non from less than 42 inches (1.i meters) above that level.
Items that accept fallen into safety nets including --but not restricted to, materials, scrap, tools, and equipment--must be removed as soon as possible and at least earlier the next work shift.
Alarm line systems
Warning line systems consist of ropes, wires, or bondage, and supporting stanchions and are set up equally follows:
- Flagged at not more than half-dozen human foot (one.8 meters) intervals with high visibility material;
- Rigged and supported so that the everyman betoken (including sag) is no less than 34 inches (0.9 meters) from the walking/working surface and it highest point is no more than 39 inches (1 meter) from the walking/working surface.
- Stanchions, afterward being rigged with alert lines, shall be capable of resisting, without tipping over, a force of at to the lowest degree 16 pounds (71 newtons) applied horizontally against the stanchion, thirty inches (0.eight meters) above the walking/working surface, perpendicular to the warning line and in the management of the floor, roof, or platform edge;
- The rope, wire, or concatenation shall have a minimum tensile strength of 500 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons) and after being attached to the stanchions, must support without breaking the load applied to the stanchions as prescribed above.
- Shall be attached to each stanchion in such a mode that pulling on one section of the line between stanchions will not result in slack being taken up in the adjacent section before the stanchion tips over.
Warning lines shall be erected effectually all sides of roof work areas. When mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall exist erected not less than 6 feet (ane.8 meters) from the roof edge parallel to the management of mechanical equipment operation, and not less than 10 feet (iii meters) from the roof edge perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation.
When mechanical equipment is non being used, the alarm line must exist erected not less than 6 anxiety (1.viii meters) from the roof edge.
Wall Openings
Each employee working on, at, above, or near wall openings (including those with chutes fastened) where the outside lesser border of the wall opening is 6 feet (i.8 meters) or more in a higher place lower levels and the inside bottom border of the wall opening is less than 39 inches (1.0 meters) above the walking/working surface must be protected from falling by the use of a guardrail system, a safety net system, or a personal fall arrest system.
Holes
Personal fall abort systems, covers, or guardrail systems shall be erected around holes (including skylights) that are more than 6 feet (1.eight meters) above lower levels.
Covers
Covers must exist able to support at least twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may exist imposed on the comprehend at any i time. To foreclose accidental displacement resulting from wind, equipment, or workers' activities, all covers must be secured. All covers shall exist color coded or bear the markings "HOLE" or "Embrace."
Hoist Areas
Each employee in a hoist surface area shall be protected from falling vi feet (ane.8 meters) or more by guardrail systems or personal fall arrest systems. If guardrail systems (or chain gate or guardrail) or portions thereof must exist removed to facilitate hoisting operations, equally during the landing of materials, and a worker must lean through the access opening or out over the edge of the access opening to receive or guide equipment and materials, that employee must be protected by a personal autumn arrest system.
Protection From Falling Objects
When guardrail systems are used to prevent materials from falling from 1 level to another, any openings must be small enough to prevent passage of potential falling objects. No materials or equipment shall be stored within iv feet (1.two meters) of working edges. Materials and debris shall be kept clear of the working area past removal at regular intervals.
During roofing work, materials and equipment shall not be stored inside vi anxiety (1.8 meters) of a roof edge unless guardrails are erected at the edge, and materials piled, grouped, or stacked about a roof edge must exist stable and self-supporting.
Toeboards
When toeboards are used as protection from falling objects, they must be erected along the edges of the overhead walking/working surface for a altitude sufficient to protect persons working below. Toeboards shall exist capable of withstanding a force of at least 50 pounds (222 newtons) practical in any downward or outward management at any point forth the toeboard. Toeboards shall exist minimum of 3.5 inches (9 centimeters) alpine from their tiptop edge to the level of the walking/working surface, take no more than than 0.25 inches (0.six centimeters) clearance higher up the walking/working surface, and exist solid or have openings no larger than 1 inch (2.five centimeters) in size.
Where tools, equipment, or materials are piled higher than the top edge of a toeboard, panelling or screening must be erected from the walking/working surface or toeboard to the top of a guardrail system's peak rail or midrail, for a distance sufficient to protect employees below.
| �1926.502 | 29 CFR Ch XVII (7-ane-98 Edition) |
(f) Alert line systems. Warning line systems [See �1926.501(b)(ten)] and their use shall comply with the following provisions:
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(h) Safety monitoring systems. Condom monitoring systems [See �1926.501(b)(10) and 1926.502(k)] and their employ shall comply with the following provisions:
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Glossary | |
| Anchorage -- A secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards or deceleration devices. Body belt -- A strap with means both for securing information technology about the waist and for attaching it to a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration device Body harness -- Straps that may be secure about the person in a fashion that distributes the fall-arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis waist, chest, and shoulders with a means for attaching the harness to other components of a personal autumn arrest arrangement. Connector -- A device that is used to couple (connect) parts of a personal fall arrest arrangement or positioning device arrangement together. Controlled access zone -- A work expanse designated and clearly marked in which certain types of work (such equally overhand bricklaying) may accept place without the apply of conventional fall protection systems--guardrail, personal arrest or prophylactic net--to protect the employees working in the zone. Deceleration device -- Any machinery--such as rope, grab, ripstitch lanyard, peculiarly-woven lanyard, fierce or deforming lanyards, automatic self-retracting lifelines/lanyards--which serves to misemploy a substantial amount of free energy during a autumn arrest, or otherwise limits the energy imposed on an employee during fall arrest. Deceleration distance -- The additional vertical distance a falling person travels, excluding lifeline elongation and free autumn distance, earlier stopping, from the bespeak at which a deceleration device begins to operate. Guardrail arrangement -- A barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels. Pigsty -- A void or gap 2 inches (5.ane centimeters) or more than in the least dimension in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface. Lanyard -- A flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap that generally has a connector at each terminate for connecting the body belt or body harness to a deceleration device, lifeline, or anchorage. Leading edge -- The border of a flooring, roof, or formwork for a flooring or other walking/working surface (such as the deck) which changes location equally additional floor, roof decking or formwork sections are placed, formed or constructed. Lifeline -- A component consisting of a flexible line for connection to an anchorage at one end to hang vertically (vertical lifeline), or for connection to anchorages at both ends to stretch horizontally (horizontal lifeline) and that serves as a ways for connecting other components of a personal fall arrest system to the anchorage. Low-gradient roof -- A roof having a slope less than or equal to 4 in 12 (vertical to horizontal). | Opening -- A gap or void thirty inches (76 centimeters) or more high and 18 inches (46 centimeters) or more wide, in a wall or partition, through which employees can fall to a lower level. Personal fall abort system -- A system including but not limited to an anchorage, connectors, and a trunk belt or body harness used to arrest an employee in a autumn from a working level. As of January i, 1998, the use of a trunk belt for fall arrest is prohibited. Position device system -- A torso belt or body harness organisation rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, and work with both easily free while leaning backwards. Rope grab -- A deceleration device that travels on a lifeline and automatically, by friction, engages the lifeline and locks to arrest a fall. Safety-monitoring system -- A safe arrangement in which a competent person is responsible for recognizing and warning employees of autumn hazards. Cocky-retracting lifeline/lanyard -- A deceleration device containing a drum-wound line which can exist slowly extracted from, or retracted onto the drum under minimal tension during normal employee movement and which, after onset of a fall, automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall. Snaphook -- A connector consisting of a hook-shaped member with a normally closed keeper, or like arrangement, which may be opened to permit the hook to receive an object and, when released automatically closes to retain the object. Steep roof -- A roof having a gradient greater than four in 12 (vertical to horizontal). Toeboard -- A low protective barrier that prevents material and equipment from falling to lower levels and which protects personnel from falling. Unprotected sides and edges -- Any side or border (except at entrances to points of access) of a walking/working surface (eastward.one thousand., floor, roof, ramp, or runway) where there is no wall or guardrail system at least 39 inches (1 meter) high. Walking/working surface -- Whatsoever surface, whether horizontal or vertical, on which an employee walks or works, including but non limited to floors, roofs, ramps, bridges, runways, formwork, and concrete reinforcing steel. Does non include ladders, vehicles or trailers on which employees must be located to perform their work duties. Alert line organisation -- A barrier erected on a roof to warn employees that they are budgeted an unprotected roof side or border and which designates an surface area in which covering work may accept place without the use of guardrail, body belt, or condom net systems to protect employees in the area. |
i. An unprotected side is an edge where there is no wall or guardrail at least 39" loftier.
Manufacturers of Covering Equipment
Covering
Warning Line Code Text
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