Fall protection in construction

0:00 Intro

Fall protection in construction, for the CHST exam. Every rule and number here is cited to its primary source, on screen.

0:09 Learning objectives

In this lesson, you'll learn to: state the six-foot trigger and its main variations, give guardrail and safety net criteria, apply personal fall arrest limits, and assign fall protection plan and monitoring duties to the right person.

0:26 The trigger

The general rule: an unprotected edge 6 feet or more up needs protection. Choose guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest systems. Dangerous equipment: below 6 feet, guardrails or equipment guards. At 6 feet or more, guardrail, arrest, or net.

0:46 Specific hazards

Many hazards share a 6-foot trigger but limit options. Ramps, runways and walkways: guardrail systems only. Steep roofs: guardrails with toeboards, nets, or arrest. Formwork and rebar faces may use positioning device systems. Holes over 6 feet up: covers, arrest, or guardrails. Wall openings: outside edge 6 feet or more up, inside edge under 39 inches.

1:14 Guardrail criteria

Top rail height is 42 inches, plus or minus 3. When conditions warrant, it may exceed 45 inches if all other criteria are met. With stilts, add stilt height. The top edge must withstand 200 pounds, applied within 2 inches of it, outward or downward, anywhere along it. Under that load, it must not deflect below 39 inches. Midrails and similar members must withstand 150 pounds.

1:47 Safety nets

Balusters can be no more than 19 inches apart. Install nets as close as practicable under the work, never more than 30 feet below. Outward extension: up to 5 feet drop needs 8 feet; over 5 up to 10 needs 10 feet; over 10 needs 13 feet. Drop-test with a 400 pound sand bag after installation, relocation, major repair, and at 6-month intervals. If unreasonable, certify before use.

2:18 Personal fall arrest

Inspect at least weekly, and after any occurrence affecting net integrity. Anchorages are independent of platform supports and hold 5,000 pounds per employee, or are part of a complete system with a safety factor of at least two, under a qualified person. Maximum arresting force with a harness is 1,800 pounds. Free fall can be no more than 6 feet, with no contact with a lower level. 5 feet.

2:50 Roofs and zones

Impact-loaded gear comes out of service until a competent person inspects it and finds it undamaged and suitable for reuse. Warning lines serve low-slope roofing; control lines mark controlled access zones. With no equipment, a warning line stands at least 6 feet from the edge. Warning line: flagged at no more than 6-foot intervals, 34 inches minimum at the lowest point, 39 inches maximum at the highest. Control lines sit 6 to 25 feet from the unprotected or leading edge.

3:27 Who does what

Precast erection: 6 feet to 60 feet or half the member length, whichever is less. Bricklaying control lines sit 10 to 15 feet from the working edge. A fall protection plan is only for leading edge, precast concrete, or residential work where conventional systems are infeasible or create a greater hazard.

3:50 On the job

A qualified person prepares it, specific to the site, and approves changes. A competent person supervises implementation. Separately, a designated competent person safety monitor cannot have distracting duties. You're the CHST on a building job. A crew doing non-roofing work sets up at an unguarded edge of a flat roof. That edge is 6 feet or more up, so guardrail, net, or personal fall arrest must be in place.

4:20 Common exam traps

They choose arrest. Rig it so free fall stays at 6 feet or less with no lower-level contact, and never tie off to a guardrail. If a worker falls, pull that gear until a competent person clears it. Now, five traps that catch people on exam day. A fall plan is limited to leading edge, precast, or residential work, and only where conventional systems are infeasible or create a greater hazard. Positioning devices limit free fall to 2 feet. Personal fall arrest systems allow 6.

5:04 Recap quiz

Never attach a personal fall arrest system to a guardrail system. Body belts are not acceptable for fall arrest. They may be used in positioning device systems. Warning line: at least 6 feet, or 10 feet from edges perpendicular to equipment in use. Control line: 6 to 25 feet. Question 1. What is the maximum free fall distance for a personal fall arrest system? A: 2 feet. 5 feet. C: 6 feet. D: 10 feet. C. 6 feet, with no contact with a lower level. Two feet is the positioning device limit. Question 2. A safety net is left in one place. How often is it drop-tested? A: Weekly. B: Every month. C: At 6-month intervals. D: Every 30 days. C. Six-month intervals. Weekly is the inspection frequency, not the drop test. Question 3. Who prepares a site-specific fall protection plan? A: A qualified person. B: Any authorized employee. C: The safety monitor. D: The first-line supervisor. A. A qualified person prepares it. A competent person supervises implementation. Want to see where you stand on every CHST domain? com.

25 questions, free, no card. You get a readiness score for each CHST domain.