Fall Protection Program

•		Each employee on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge, which is 6 ft. or more above a lower level, shall be protected from falling by the use of warning line systems
•		Fall protection must be implemented when roof has a parapet height less than 42 inches plus or minus an additional 3 inches.

WARNING LINE SYSTEM

•		A warning line system shall be erected around entire perimeter of roof not less than 6 ft. from roof edge.
•		The rope, wire, or chain of a warning line system shall be flagged at not more that 6 ft. intervals with high-visibility material.
•		Lowest point of rope, wire, chain should be no less that 34 inches from the walking/working surface and its highest point is no more that 39 inches from the walking/working area.
•		When mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall be erected not less than 6 feet from the roof edge which is parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation, and not less that 10 feet from the roof edge which is perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation.

SAFETY MONITOR

•		No employee shall be allowed in the area between a roof edge and a warning line unless the employee is performing roofing work in that area.
•		A safety monitor (competent person) shall warn the employee when it appears that the employee is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe manor.
•		The safety monitor shall be close enough to communicate orally with the employee; and
•		The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities that could take the monitors attention from the monitoring function.

ROOF OPENINGS

•		All openings greater than 2in. x 2in. will have perimeter guarding or covering.
•		All covers shall be capable of supporting, without failure, at least twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one time.
•		All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees.

HOIST SITES

•		Guardrail systems or personal fall-arrest systems must be used on hoist sites that are 6 feet or higher from a lower level.
•		If guardrail system is being used and a portion of the guardrail has to be removed for an employee to lean out to guide materials, then that employee must be protected with a personal fall-arrest system.

DECK REPLACEMENT

•		Before tearing off, check the underside of deck for dangerous areas, electrical wires, equipment, or other impediments.
•		Cover and mark holes (anything larger than a 2-inch gap), erect guardrails around it, or wear personal fall-arrest equipment.
•		Do not remove a cover without the approval of the foreman. Immediately re-cover the hole when the roofing or flashing work is complete.
•		Always properly secure any loads stored on a roof deck.
•		Proceed with caution because frost, snow, and rain can make a deck very slippery.

PERSONAL FALL-ARREST SYSTEMS (PFAs)

•		Personal fall-arrest systems must be rigged so that employees cannot fall more than 6 feet or contact any lower level.
•		All components must be inspected before each use and removed and inspected each time they are actually used to arrest a fall.
•		The system must be able to bear a fall impact of 5,000 pounds.
•		Locking snap hooks must be used at all times to prevent it from disengaging from the D-ring.
•		All lines must be made of synthetic fiber and free of cuts and abrasions.
•		When vertical lines are used, each employee must be attached to a separate lifeline.
•		Anchorages must be independent of any platform support or suspension and not attached to guardrails or hoists. They must be able to support 5,000 pounds per employee or designed to support twice the weight of each employee.

TIE-OFFS

•		A tie-off point is where the lanyard or lifeline is attached to a structural support. This support must have a 5,000 pound capacity for each worker tying off.
•		Workers must always tie off at or above the D-ring point of the belt or harness.
•		Workers must also tie off in a manner that ensures no lower level will be struck during a fall. To do this, add the height of the worker, the lanyard length, and an elongation factor of 3.5 feet. Using this formula, a six-foot tall worker requires a tie-off point at least 15.5 feet above the next lower level.