A plumber is installing a vent terminal near an unprotected edge of a flat commercial roof, 22 feet above a lower level. This is plumbing work, not roofing work. Under the federal OSHA construction standard, what fall-protection requirement applies?
- ANothing applies provided the worker stays more than 15 feet back from the edge and a monitor is posted
- BFall protection becomes required at 25 feet above a lower level in construction work, so nothing applies here
- Fall protection is required, since the trigger for unprotected sides and edges is 6 feet above a lower level
- DA personal fall arrest system is required only where the task takes the worker within 3 feet of the edge
Where to look it up
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.501
Why C is correct
For the stated work at an unprotected side or edge, 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1) requires a guardrail system, safety net system or personal fall arrest system when the edge is 6 feet or more above a lower level. The 22-foot height exceeds that threshold. Neither a 25-foot threshold nor a 3-foot proximity rule applies here, and merely posting a monitor does not meet this requirement. Low-slope roofing activities have separate options under paragraph (b)(10); those options should not be generalized to the plumbing work described. Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.501