Fall Protection
Falls are the number-one killer in construction, so fall protection is the most heavily tested safety topic.
Trigger: 6 ft above a lower level · Guardrail top rail: 42 in (±3) · Top-rail strength: 200 lb · Anchorage: 5,000 lb per worker · Max arresting force: 1,800 lb (harness) · Max free fall: 6 ft · Hole cover: supports 2× the max intended load.
What counts as fall protection
OSHA’s three main systems are guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). A PFAS uses a full-body harness, a lanyard or self-retracting lifeline, and an anchorage — body belts are no longer allowed for fall arrest.
- Guardrails need a top rail at 42 inches (±3), a midrail about halfway (≈21 in), and the top rail must take a 200 lb force.
- A PFAS must hold a free fall to 6 feet, keep the arresting force ≤ 1,800 lb, and anchor to 5,000 lb per person.
- Cover every hole (a hole is 2 in or more across) with a cover rated for twice the load and marked “HOLE” or “COVER.”
Protect open-sided floors, leading edges, roofs, and excavations. When you can’t use a guardrail, you fall back to a harness system — and you inspect it before every use.
Practice: Fall Protection
Frequently asked
At what height is fall protection required in construction?
How strong must a fall-arrest anchorage be?
More Construction Safety topics
Ladders & Scaffolds
Ladder and scaffold safety: the 4:1 ladder angle, 3-foot rail extension, three points of contact, the 10-foot scaffold fall-protection rule, 4× load capacity, and competent-person inspections.
Read & practice →Excavation & Trenching
Trench safety: protective systems at 5 feet, the 2-foot spoil setback, egress within 25 feet, daily competent-person inspections, soil types A/B/C, and Type C sloping — from OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.
Read & practice →Electrical & Lockout/Tagout
Electrical safety on the jobsite: GFCIs and the assured-grounding program, the 10-foot overhead-line clearance, lockout/tagout, grounded or double-insulated tools, and treating conductors as energized.
Read & practice →PPE, Silica & Respiratory
Personal protective equipment and health hazards: employer-paid PPE, hard hats and eye protection, the 85 dBA noise action level, the 50 µg/m³ silica limit, dust controls, and respirator requirements.
Read & practice →Hazard Communication & Focus Four
Hazard communication and OSHA basics: Safety Data Sheets and their 16 sections, GHS labels and signal words, the Right-to-Know law, the Focus Four hazards, the General Duty Clause, and reporting deadlines.
Read & practice →