Minnesota OSHA Compliance -- residential fall-protection

New residential fall-protection guidelines

Effective June 16, 2011, Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) no longer accepts the Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction and will enforce
29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13). Employers are no longer able to use the alternative fall-protection measures found in the rescinded 1999 Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction.

The guidelines were rescinded for the following reasons.

They were never intended to be a permanent resolution.
Conventional fall-protection is safe and feasible for the vast majority of residential construction activities.
Federal OSHA received recommendations to rescind the interim directive.
The residential fall-protection requirements have always been established in Subpart M at 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13). The new policy directive implements the standard as it was originally intended.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data (BLS), fatalities from falls are the leading cause of workplace deaths in construction.

Table 1. Leading causes of construction fatalities -- U.S. BLS

Fatalities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Falls 394 433 447 332 277

Struck by 130 120 106 108 79

Electrocutions 107 126 108 89 88

Caught in/between 111 96 98 92 34

Table 2. Fatalities from falls in residential construction -- U.S. BLS

Fatalities 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total falls 71 62 55 40 42

Falls from roofs 24 21 19 11 17

Effective June 16, 2011, employers must follow 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13), which states each employee engaged in residential construction activities six feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by a guardrail system, safety net system or personal fall-arrest system unless another provision in paragraph (b) of this section provides for an alternate fall-protection measure.

For further information contact Minnesota OSHA at osha.compliance@state.mn.us, (651) 284-5050 or 1-877-470-6742.

Additional resources

View Minnesota OSHA's presentation -- Residential fall protection

Federal OSHA requirements -- Residential fall protection (Note: Change becomes effective in Minnesota on June 16, 2011.)

Table 1. Leading causes of construction fatalities -- U.S. BLS
Fatalities	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Falls	394	433	447	332	277
Struck by	130	120	106	108	79
Electrocutions	107	126	108	89	88
Caught in/between	111	96	98	92	34