Everybody has an idea of what this phrase means, but for somebody in the EHS field – more specifically, for somebody whose career revolves in some way around OSHA – “Competent Person” has a very specific two-part...

When companies determine that their employees need some type of safety training, the knee-jerk reaction is most often, “Well, get them an OSHA 10 or 30.” They say “10 or 30” because they usually don’t know how much training their workers are required to have. The idea that a 10 or 30 hour...

Homeowners and building managers cannot be expected to be experts in every area of maintenance and repairs that need to be performed on their building.  Day in and day out, contractors around the country are hired to perform such work because they are the experts.  Some of this work takes...

In order for a roof parapet to provide adequate fall protection, a roof parapet railing should be at least 42" in height. Unfortunately, many buildings get close to this height without quite meeting the height required by OSHA to provide fall protection. There are several solutions to...

Ladders tend to be one of those tools that get taken for granted because they are used so often in the home.  Therefore, sometimes ladder safety gets as much consideration at work as it does at home, which is to say: zero.  That needs to change.  In a recent CDC article, it was noted...

Every time you or your team access a rooftop you should take precautions and avoid hazards and dangerous situations. We all need a reminder about what specifically to look out for, so we've compiled this list of the top 10 hazards you should be aware of before you access a rooftop.

Back when I began in the field of safety, self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) were frowned upon by workers, not because the function wasn’t preferable, but because they were big, bulky, and very heavy.  Over time, things have changed.  Technology has improved.  And while the cumbersome...

When considering fall protection solutions, people often consider Personal Fall Arrest Systems and railings as the only two options available. In some cases, that might be true, but in other cases, it puts an undue burden on the person trying to come up with the solution by...

Fall hazards are abundant and varied, making them difficult to protect against.  Every single situation is different and employers need to work with employees to ensure that the correct solution is in place.  The solutions may be easy or they may be complex but, either way, we have the...

One of the most versatile pieces of fall protection equipment is the double tie off lanyard, also known as the Y-lanyard. This new breed of lanyard has become a popular choice among safety professionals in recent years. The Y-lanyard attaches two lanyard legs to a shock absorber and snap...

Way back in August of 2012, a new ANSI standard was released that addressed the use of retractable lifelines for personal fall arrest and in rescue situations. These self-retracting lifelines had been in use for quite some time and, as they had gotten smaller, lighter, and more inexpensive,...

Falling while working at height represents the leading cause of death and injury in both construction and general industry. Experience has shown us that people seem to be making the same fundamental mistakes while managing work at height. We will share our observations in an effort to develop...

There are three major areas of concern for ADA compliance. Once you have established that your facility needs to be ADA compliant, the three areas of concern are stairs, ramps, and landings/raised walkways.

Calculating fall clearance is not as simple as some may lead you to believe. If done incorrectly, anyone who uses the system could be at risk of severe injury or death.

Having a basic understanding of how to calculate fall clearance will help you know when to hire a qualified person and when...

Safety Harnesses are meant to protect your life. But a safety harness that has been worn improperly can put you at risk in multiple ways. This article will equip you with some basic information so that you can ensure you are using your safety equipment effectively.

This is the second article...

For those unfamiliar with the hierarchy of controls, a tiered approach to solving problems might seem alien.  Even for the initiated, some aspects of the hierarchy can be confusing.  So, rather than just tell you what the hierarchy is at face value, let’s take a more in-depth look at...

We often talk about harnesses in a very general sense, as if there was only one brand and one type to choose from, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While each of the safety harnesses you should be selecting should perform as well as the next, based on the fact that they...

Safety has many enemies - budget, schedule, leadership indifference, to name a few – so maybe saying complacency is its worst enemy is a bit of hyperbole. Then again, maybe it’s not.

Each of the examples I mentioned is lacking one key ingredient that sets complacency...

One of the most neglected aspects of Fall Protection is the rescue and retrieval plan.  Sure, you've selected your harnesses and lanyards, debated the feasibility of railings, and calculated your fall distance, but what do you intend to do once the worker has fallen?  While the worker is...

A fall arrest system is the kind of fall protection which includes the safe stopping of a person already falling. It is one of many forms of fall protection, which also include fall guarding and fall

OSHA specifies under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations that...

Updated on December 20, 2018 by Josh Borowiec

Rooftop fall protection seems to be one of the most confusing regulations.

Given the amount of different scenarios, it's easy to miss an important detail – or at least misinterpret one. So, here’s a quick and easy by-the-numbers guide...