29 CFR 1910.28: Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection
The official text is on the eCFR. This page maps how the section is organized, quotes the paragraphs our ASP, CSP practice questions are built on, and gives free questions you can try. Text below is quoted from the eCFR, current as of 2026-10-14; the section was last amended 2017-01-18.
How 29 CFR 1910.28 is organized
- (a) General9 paragraphs
- (b) Protection from fall hazards—(1) Unprotected sides and edges96 paragraphs
- (c) Protection from falling objects4 paragraphs
Paragraphs our practice questions cite most
Counted across the 13 live PassCited questions built on this section. This reflects our question bank, not the real exam.
“(ii) When the employer can demonstrate that it is not feasible or creates a greater hazard to use guardrail, safety net, or personal fall protection systems on residential roofs, the employer must develop and implement a fall protection plan that meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.502(k) and training that meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1926.503(a) and (c).”
“(ii) When any portion of a guardrail system, gate, or chains is removed, and an employee must lean through or over the edge of the access opening to facilitate hoisting, the employee is protected from falling by a personal fall arrest system.”
“(ii) Each employee is protected from tripping into or stepping into or through any hole that is less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above a lower level by covers or guardrail systems.”
“(ii) When employers are inspecting, investigating, or assessing workplace conditions or work to be performed prior to the start of work or after all work has been completed. This exemption does not apply when fall protection systems or equipment meeting the requirements of § 1910.29 have been installed and are available for workers to use for pre-work and post-work inspections, investigations, or assessments;”
“(15) Walking-working surfaces not otherwise addressed. Except as provided elsewhere in this section or by other subparts of this part, the employer must ensure each employee on a walking-working surface 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling by:”
Free practice questions on 29 CFR 1910.28
Question 1
A warehouse has a floor hole beside a conveyor, with the floor 30 inches above the level below. Employees pass near the hole during their normal tasks. Under the standard, what protection is required for this hole?
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Answer: A. Covers or guardrail systems, to protect employees from tripping into or stepping into or through the hole
Holes less than 4 feet above a lower level still require covers or guardrail systems to protect against tripping or stepping into or through them. The distractor claiming no protection is needed misreads the 4-foot threshold, which only changes the type of protection required.
Answer A rests on
29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)(ii)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“Each employee is protected from tripping into or stepping into or through any hole that is less than 4 feet (1.2 m) above a lower level by covers or guardrail systems.”
Question 2
A facility's maintenance crew must replace a light fixture on an elevated work platform that no more specific provision of the walking-working surfaces standard addresses. The platform's open edge is 5 feet above the floor below. The supervisor says guardrails are not needed because the crew will be there less than an hour and the work is routine. What should the employer do?
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Answer: A. Ensure the employees are protected by guardrails, safety nets, or a personal fall protection system, because the surface is 4 feet or more above a lower level
The platform is 5 feet above a lower level, which exceeds the 4-foot trigger for surfaces not otherwise addressed, so one of the listed fall protection options is required regardless of task duration. The one-hour and 6-foot ideas appear nowhere in the standard, and head protection addresses falling objects, not falls from the surface.
Answer A rests on
29 CFR 1910.28(b)(15)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“Except as provided elsewhere in this section or by other subparts of this part, the employer must ensure each employee on a walking-working surface 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected from falling by:”
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Other Part 1910 sections
- 29 CFR 1910.1020: Access to employee exposure and medical records
- 29 CFR 1910.1030: Bloodborne pathogens
- 29 CFR 1910.1053: Respirable crystalline silica
- 29 CFR 1910.106: Flammable liquids
- 29 CFR 1910.119: Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals
- 29 CFR 1910.120: Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
This is a study aid, not legal advice or an official interpretation. Always check the current eCFR text. Original practice questions, not real exam items. PassCited is not affiliated with or endorsed by BCSP.