Commercial and industrial grade HVAC units used to keep personnel and sensitive electronic equipment cool can sometimes be incredibly tall. This creates a situation in which there is no safe way to access the top of the units for maintenance work.
Per OSHA 1910 – accessing the top of these HVAC units – or for that matter, ANY equipment taller than 4 feet – requires fall protection to protect a worker who is on top of the equipment.
On a recent site visit, one of our clients asked if OSHA’s 1910 four foot rule applies to loading docks. The short answer is usually, yes. Most loading docks are 48-52” tall, but we do see instances of docks a few inches shy of four feet–say 46”. By strict letter of the law, a 46” dock does not require fall protection under the provisions of OSHA 1910. That said, even docks coming in under 4 feet should utilize some sort of fall protection system…
One of the more popular fall protection questions we receive relates to OSHA requirements for safety railing and guardrail systems. Determined inquiring minds can consult OSHA’s revised Walking Working Surfaces ruling for general industry, but this can be a laborious process. In the interest of time, here is OSHA’s official stance on guardrail for general industry applications….
On a recent site visit, one of our clients asked if OSHA’s 1910 four foot rule applies to loading docks. The short answer is usually, yes. Most loading docks are 48-52” tall, but we do see instances of docks a few inches shy of four feet–say 46”. By strict letter of the law, a 46” dock does not require fall protection under the provisions of OSHA 1910. That said, even docks coming in under 4 feet should utilize some sort of fall protection system and here is why…
Freestanding safety railing is one of the simplest forms of rooftop fall protection. Unlike horizontal lifelines or single point anchors, which require worker tie-off, a rooftop guardrail system requires very little of its user. Employees don’t need to wear a harness, connect to an anchor point, or receive training in the safe use of the system. That said, you’ll need to do some planning prior to installing freestanding rooftop safety railing systems to ensure worker safety and OSHA compliance. This post serves as a guide to determining baseplate and railing section requirements when installing our LORGUARD safety railing.
