OSHA Fall Protection Requirements for Exterior Wall Top Plate - 12/6/2004 - Home Exterior Roofs Siding

OSHA Clarifies Fall Protection Requirements for Working From Exterior Wall Top Plate

STD 3-0.1A outlines alternative procedures to conventional fall protection for certain types of residential construction activities and establishes the procedures for installing roof trusses.

According to those installation procedures, the first two trusses must be set from ladders, and workers setting the trusses must then climb on the interior top plate, when it is available, to secure their peaks. The directive adds that workers remaining on the top plate must use the previously stabilized trusses or rafters as support while the other trusses or rafters are erected.

NAHB’s Construction Safety and Health Committee and association staff members are working with OSHA to explore additional alternatives for erecting roof trusses and rafters.

It should be noted that several states operate their own state OSHA programs, and they may have adopted construction standards that are different from the federal standards. Builders who live in a state that has its own State Occupational Safety and Health Plan should contact their local program administrator for further information on the construction standards applicable in their state.

For more information, e-mail Rob Matuga at NAHB or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.

NAHB Alliance With OSHA on Safety

NAHB has been working with OSHA to provide its members and others in the residential construction industry with information, training opportunities and guidance that will help them protect the health and safety of their employees. To learn more about this comprehensive alliance, click here.

For information on the many OSHA standards that apply to the residential construction industry, hazards in home building and their solutions, and developing and implementing a safety program, click here.

For publications on safety and OSHA available from BuilderBooks.com, click here. Included among these titles is NAHB and OSHA's "Construction Safety Program Manual," which is a practical guide to designing a comprehensive safety program.

For further information, e-mail Rob Matuga at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.