Reference Source

OSHA fall protection trigger height by standard

OSHA does not set one fall-protection trigger height. General industry (29 CFR 1910.28) sets 4 feet, general construction (1926.501) sets 6 feet, scaffolds (1926.451) sets 10 feet, and steel erection (1926.760) sets 15 feet -- the same worker doing the same job can cross from one trigger to another by changing which standard applies. Nor does any one standard set a single height: within general industry a fixed ladder triggers at 24 feet, a repair pit is exempt below 10 feet, and low-slope roof work is governed by distance from the edge rather than height at all. Each record is one named hazard situation inside one standard -- the numbered paragraph the regulation itself uses, such as 'Hoist areas', 'Holes' or 'Steep roofs' -- stating the height that triggers protection there and exactly what the paragraph requires once it does, quoted from the regulation. Safety consultants and OSHA-training blogs restate the 4/6/10/15 numbers constantly but rarely cite the paragraph or state what is required, which is the part that matters for compliance. Answers 'what height do I need fall protection at', 'is scaffold fall protection 6 feet or 10 feet', 'what height do I need fall protection around a floor hole', 'what OSHA standard covers steel erection fall protection'.

Records42
Sources4
Verified
Review by
LicenceFederal regulatory text (29 CFR), not copyrightable

The data

Hazard situationStandardTrigger heightRequired protection once triggeredSubpartCFR paragraph
Dangerous equipment1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above dangerous equipment(A) Guardrail systems; (B) Safety net systems; (C) Travel restraint systems; or (D) Personal fall arrest systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(6)
Dockboards1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more to a lower levela guardrail system or handrailsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(4)
Fixed ladders (that extend more than 24 feet (7.3 m) above a lower level)1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protectionmore than 24 feet (7.3 m) above a lower levelEach fixed ladder installed on and after November 19, 2018, is equipped with a personal fall arrest system or a ladder safety systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(9)
Hoist areas1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more to a lower level(A) A guardrail system; (B) A personal fall arrest system; or (C) A travel restraint systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(2)
Holes1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level(A) Covers; (B) Guardrail systems; (C) Travel restraint systems; or (D) Personal fall arrest systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(3)
Openings1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level(i) Guardrail systems; (ii) Safety net systems; (iii) Travel restraint systems; or, (iv) Personal fall arrest systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(7)
Repair pits, service pits, and assembly pits less than 10 feet in depth1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protectionless than 10 feet (3 m) deepThe use of a fall protection system is not required for a repair pit, service pit, or assembly pit that is less than 10 feet (3 m) deepSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(8)
Runways and similar walkways1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more to a lower levela guardrail systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(5)
Scaffolds and rope descent systems1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower levelprotected from falling by a personal fall arrest systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(12)
Slaughtering facility platforms1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level(A) Guardrail systems; or (B) Travel restraint systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(14)
Stairways1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower levela guardrail or stair rail systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(11)
Unprotected sides and edges1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level(A) Guardrail systems; (B) Safety net systems; or (C) Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)
Walking-working surfaces not otherwise addressed1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level(i) Guardrail systems; (ii) Safety net systems; or (iii) Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systemsSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(15)
Work on low-slope roofs1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protectionless than 6 feet (1.6 m) from the roof edgea guardrail system, safety net system, travel restraint system, or personal fall arrest systemSubpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910.28(b)(13)
all scaffolds not otherwise specified1926.451 General requirementspersonal fall arrest systems or guardrail systemsSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(vii)
boatswains' chair, catenary scaffold, float scaffold, needle beam scaffold, or ladder jack scaffold1926.451 General requirementsa personal fall arrest systemSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(i)
crawling board (chicken ladder)1926.451 General requirementsa personal fall arrest system, a guardrail system (with minimum 200 pound toprail capacity), or by a three-fourth inch (1.9 cm) diameter grabline or equivalent handhold securely fastened beside each crawling boardSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(iii)
Each employee on a scaffold more than 10 feet (3.1 m) above a lower level1926.451 General requirementsmore than 10 feet (3.1 m) above a lower levelshall be protected from falling to that lower levelSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)
employees erecting or dismantling supported scaffolds1926.451 General requirementsEmployers are required to provide fall protection for employees erecting or dismantling supported scaffolds where the installation and use of such protection is feasible and does not create a greater hazardSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(2)
overhand bricklaying operations from a supported scaffold1926.451 General requirementsa personal fall arrest system or guardrail system (with minimum 200 pound toprail capacity)Subpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(vi)
self-contained adjustable scaffold1926.451 General requirementsa guardrail system (with minimum 200 pound toprail capacity) when the platform is supported by the frame structure, and by both a personal fall arrest system and a guardrail system (with minimum 200 pound toprail capacity) when the platform is supported by ropesSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(iv)
single-point or two-point adjustable suspension scaffold1926.451 General requirementsboth a personal fall arrest system and guardrail systemSubpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(ii)
walkway located within a scaffold1926.451 General requirementsa guardrail system (with minimum 200 pound toprail capacity)Subpart L —Scaffolds29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)(v)
Dangerous equipment1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above dangerous equipmentguardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems, or safety net systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(8)
Excavations1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more in depthguardrail systems, fences, or barricades when the excavations are not readily seen because of plant growth or other visual barrierSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(7)
Formwork and reinforcing steel1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levelspersonal fall arrest systems, safety net systems, or positioning device systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(5)
Hoist areas1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levelsguardrail systems or personal fall arrest systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(3)
Holes1926.501 Duty to have fall protectionmore than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levelspersonal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holesSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(4)
Leading edges1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(2)
Overhand bricklaying and related work1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, or shall work in a controlled access zoneSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(9)
Precast concrete erection1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(12)
Ramps, runways, and other walkways1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levelsguardrail systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(6)
Residential construction1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest systemSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)
Roofing work on Low-slope roofs1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, or a combination of warning line system and guardrail system, warning line system and safety net system, or warning line system and personal fall arrest system, or warning line system and safety monitoring systemSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10)
Steep roofs1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsguardrail systems with toeboards, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(11)
Unprotected sides and edges1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower levelguardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systemsSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1)
Walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsa guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest systemSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(15)
Wall openings1926.501 Duty to have fall protection6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levelsa guardrail system, a safety net system, or a personal fall arrest systemSubpart M —Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501(b)(14)
Connectors1926.760 Fall protectionmore than two stories or 30 feet (9.1 m) above a lower level, whichever is lessat heights over 15 and up to 30 feet above a lower level, with a personal fall arrest system, positioning device system or fall restraint system and wear the equipment necessary to be able to be tied offSubpart R —Steel Erection29 CFR 1926.760(b)
Controlled Decking Zone (CDZ)1926.760 Fall protectionover 15 and up to 30 feet above a lower levelEach employee working at the leading edge in a CDZ shall be protected from fall hazards of more than two stories or 30 feet (9.1 m), whichever is lessSubpart R —Steel Erection29 CFR 1926.760(c)
each employee engaged in a steel erection activity1926.760 Fall protectionmore than 15 feet (4.6 m) above a lower levelguardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, positioning device systems or fall restraint systemsSubpart R —Steel Erection29 CFR 1926.760(a)(1)
Perimeter safety cables1926.760 Fall protectionOn multi-story structures, perimeter safety cables shall be installed at the final interior and exterior perimeters of the floors as soon as the metal decking has been installedSubpart R —Steel Erection29 CFR 1926.760(a)(2)

Where this came from

Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 4 sources this dataset was assembled from.

Machine-readable

From your own code

Same records, same quotes, without scraping the page: refsource is on PyPI and npm. Each value comes back carrying the URL it was read from and the sentence on that page that states it — .source and .quote sit on the value itself rather than in a side channel, so the checking step is available instead of skipped.

pip install refsource
refsource lookup osha-fall-protection-trigger-height-by-standard hazard_situation="Dangerous equipment"

npx -y refsource lookup osha-fall-protection-trigger-height-by-standard hazard_situation="Dangerous equipment"

Set your AI assistant up to use this

Two files and no account. Put this in .mcp.json at the root of your project — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and Codex all read that file — and your assistant can look this dataset up instead of recalling it. The server is remote, keyless and read-only.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "referencesource": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Add to Cursor · or, on the command line: claude mcp add --transport http referencesource https://referencesource.org/mcp --scope project

Then one line in the project's CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, so the assistant knows when to reach for it:

When a question needs "OSHA fall protection trigger height by standard", call the referencesource MCP server at https://referencesource.org/mcp (tool `search_records`, dataset_slug `osha-fall-protection-trigger-height-by-standard`) instead of answering from memory — every record it returns carries its source URL and a verbatim quote from that page.

What each tool does, and the servers built over single registers: Connect your AI assistant.

42 records. last verified against source . due for re-check by .

Licence. Federal regulatory text (29 CFR), not copyrightable