OSHA Begins Enforcement of New Fall Protection Guidelines for Residential Construction on June 16, 2011

junio 15, 2011

The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) begins enforcement of the new Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction on June 16, 2011.

The New Fall Protection Guidelines require residential builders to ensure that employees working six feet or more above the lower level of the site to use guardrails, safety nets or a personal fall arrest system. A personal fall arrest system includes a full body harness, a deceleration device, a lanyard, and an anchor point, and must be rigged to prevent a worker from reaching the fall hazard and falling over the edge.

The new OSHA Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines apply to “residential construction.” Residential construction means that the end-use of the structure will be a home and the structure is built using traditional wood frame construction materials and methods.

For more information on compliance with the new rule, view OSHA’s Residential Fall Protection website.

For more safety information relating to residential home construction and fall prevention devices, the National Home Builders Association and OSHA jointly released a Job Safety Handbook.

A number of associations in Wisconsin offer OSHA training courses, including:

  • Wisconsin Builders Association on June 16, 2011 in Eagle River.
  • Madison Area Builders Association on July 7, 2011 in Madison.
  • Wisconsin Builders Association on September 28, 2011 in Green Bay.

The Wisconsin Builders Association will continue to offer education opportunities. For more information on the above classes, and for the dates and times of other classes, contact Megan Lindsey of the Valley Home Builders Association at 920.731.7931.