Are there different fall protection requirements at certain heights and surfaces?
For general fall protection (1926, Subpart M), the threshold height where you need fall protection is six feet. There are numerous ways to protect employees from falling. The most common are guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest equipment. Other methods are also acceptable, depending on the work involved, i.e., if the roof is low-sloped (1926.501(b)(10)) the requirements can be different than working on a steep roof (1926.501(b)(11)). If an employee is working on a scaffold, the height requirement for fall protection is ten feet and this protection is usually provided by a built-in guardrail (1926.451(g)). When working from a ladder, the fall protection is setting up and using the ladder correctly per the OSHA regulations at 29 CFR 1926, Subpart X—Stairways and ladders. Using ladders is found in 1926.1053(b). There is no other fall protection required for ladders.
