# Stairways · 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection — OSHA fall protection trigger height by standard

For Stairways · 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection, hazard situation is Stairways; standard is 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection; trigger height is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level; required protection once triggered is a guardrail or stair rail system; subpart is Subpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces, recorded from its source on 2026-08-25; source re-checked 2026-09-14.

- **Hazard situation:** Stairways _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Standard:** 1910.28 Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Trigger height:** 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Required protection once triggered:** a guardrail or stair rail system _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Subpart:** Subpart D —Walking-Working Surfaces _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR paragraph:** 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(11) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> (11) Stairways. The employer must ensure: (i) Each employee exposed to an unprotected side or edge of a stairway landing that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level is protected by a guardrail or stair rail system;

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XVII/part-1910/subpart-D/section-1910.28

Last verified: 2026-09-14. Review by: 2027-08-25.
Part of [OSHA fall protection trigger height by standard](https://referencesource.org/osha-fall-protection-trigger-height-by-standard/).