# Unprotected sides and edges · 1926.501 Duty to have fall protection — OSHA fall protection trigger height by standard

For Unprotected sides and edges · 1926.501 Duty to have fall protection, hazard situation is Unprotected sides and edges; standard is 1926.501 Duty to have fall protection; trigger height is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level; required protection once triggered is guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems; subpart is Subpart M —Fall Protection, recorded from its source on 2026-08-25; source re-checked 2026-09-14.

- **Hazard situation:** Unprotected sides and edges _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Standard:** 1926.501 Duty to have fall protection _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Trigger height:** 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Required protection once triggered:** guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Subpart:** Subpart M —Fall Protection _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR paragraph:** 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> (1) Unprotected sides and edges. Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-B/chapter-XVII/part-1926/subpart-M/section-1926.501

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/).