Fall Protection Requirements Grace Period Ends

As of September 15, 2011, the grace period has expired and the new requirements are fully enforceable.

The new requirement applies in cases where the building’s end use will be a dwelling and it is constructed of traditional wood frame materials (or equivalent cold-formed sheet metal stud) and methods.  Anyone working six (6) feet or more above lower levels must be protected by a conventional fall protection method or alternative fall protection method allowed for a particular type of work.  Also, the employer must ensure that each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards has been trained by a competent person to recognize the hazards of falling and in the procedures to be followed in order to minimize those hazards.

For more information on this requirement, visit the US Department of Labor website.