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Fall protection threshold
Quick check of whether a working height triggers OSHA fall-protection requirements. Two standards covered: construction (29 CFR 1926.501) and general industry (29 CFR 1910.28).
Result · 29 CFR 1926.501
Fall protection REQUIRED
Working height 7″ vs threshold 6″. Use guardrails, safety nets, or a personal fall-arrest system. Holes, leading edges, and hoist areas require protection regardless of height.
OSHA thresholds: 6 ft construction, 4 ft general industry, 10 ft scaffolding, 15 ft steel erection (with controlled-access zones). When in doubt, default to guardrails + a fall-arrest system. The safety officer + competent person make the final call on the controlled-access zone.
Thresholds + sources
- Construction: 6 feet above lower level (29 CFR 1926.501) — guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall-arrest required.
- General industry: 4 feet above lower level (29 CFR 1910.28) — same protection methods.
- Scaffolding: 10 feet (29 CFR 1926.451).
- Steel erection: 15 feet (29 CFR 1926.760, with controlled-access zones).
- Hole, leading edge, hoist area: protection regardless of height.
Built by Forward
Forward runs OSHA fall-protection checks, ADA ramp checks, IBC stair checks, NEC + IBC + IMC + IPC calcs, plus project lookups over text.