Why We Need Fall Protection

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Falls are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths in the workplace. Employers must take measures in their workplaces to prevent employees from falling off overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that falls to a lower level have been the most frequent type of fatal fall in the workplace. Most of those are caused by falls from roofs, ladders, scaffolds, non-moving vehicles, and building girders or other structural steel.

What the Fall Protection Standard Covers

For general industry, the trigger height for providing fall protection is 4 feet. However, there are exceptions for work in construction, scaffolding, fixed ladders, dangerous equipment, and utility work. From the beginning, OSHA has consistently reinforced the "4-foot rule."

Modules

To begin your training, click on the module links below. If you are just starting this course, you should start with module 1.

1. Important Questions
2. Fall Protection Program Elements
3. Identifying and Evaluating Fall Hazards
4. Supported and Suspended Access
5. Fall Protection Systems I
6. Fall Protection Systems II
7. Fall Protection Training
8. Inspection and Maintenance
9. Rescue at Height

Please login to your student dashboard to access and download this FREE course PDF studyguide. You can save this study guide to your computer for offline studying, or print the study guide if you prefer.

Course 714 Final Exam

After studying the course material and answering the quiz questions, it is time to take the final exam. We highly recommend answering the module quiz questions to check your understanding of the course material. The final exam questions are typically developed from these quiz questions.

OSHAcademy course final exams are designed to make sure students have gained a sufficient understanding of the content covered within each course. To help demonstrate this understanding, students must achieve a passing score on course final exams. It is OSHAcademy's policy to protect the integrity of our exams: as a result, we do not provide missed questions to students.

This is an open book exam. Students are permitted to use a separate browser window to review course content while taking the exam. If you do not pass a final exam, you will see a "Retake Exam" button next to the course on your student dashboard.

If you have already paid for your certificate

If you have already paid for certificates, your exam score will be displayed on your student dashboard after successfully passing the final exam. If you chose PDF certificates, you can view and print your certificate and personal transcript from your student dashboard. If you chose original printed documents, they will be prepared and mailed to the address in your student account.

If you only want free training

OSHAcademy provides free access to all training materials, including course modules, practice quizzes, exercises, and final exams. However, exam scores, certificates, and transcripts are provided only if you purchase a certificate package to document your training. If you do not require official training documentation, we will archive your exam results should you decide to purchase official certificates later.

Take the Final Exam

References

• Fall Protection in General Industry. OSHA QuickCard™ (Publication 3257), (December 2010). Provides fall protection hazard prevention methods.
• Aerial Lift Fall Protection -- Over Water in Shipyards. OSHA QuickCard™ (Publication 3452), (September 2011).
• Fall Protection Safety Tips Sheets for Employers and Employees. OSHA and the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Alliance. Two tip sheets, one for employers and one for workers, covering hazards and prevention methods.
• Stairways and Ladders: A Guide to OSHA Rules (PDF). OSHA Publication 3124, (2003). Informational booklet explaining OSHA requirements as they apply to stairways and ladders, as well as glossary of commonly used terms.
• OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport Alliance Working to Improve Safety and Health of the Outdoor Advertising Industry's Employees. OSHA Region I Success Stories, (November 30, 2004). Describes gains made and lives saved by the alliance, through pooling knowledge and resources on fall protection and safety measures.
• Fall Protection - Roofing. Washington State Video, (2013).
• Fall Protection - Trusses. Washington State Video, (2013).
• Fall Protection Publications. Oregon OSHA. Includes fall protection publications for the construction industry, for setting and bracing wood trusses and rafters, for setting floor joists, sheathing/decking, and constructing exterior walls, options for specialty contractors, temporary elevated work platforms, and walking working surfaces.
• Safety Belts, Harnesses, and Lanyards. Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Tip sheet for cleaning and caring for safety belts/harnesses/lanyards.
• NIOSH Issues Nationwide Alert on Dangers of Tree Trimming. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 93-122, (December 7, 1992). Explanation of cause for, and coverage of, NIOSH Alert on tree trimming.
• Preventing Falls and Electrocutions During Tree Trimming. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 92-106, (August 1992). NIOSH Alert considering case studies of electrocutions and fatal falls of tree trimmers, and discussion of hazard prevention methods.
• Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 90-100, (December 1989). Describes eight deaths resulting from falls that occurred during work around these openings.

Additional Information

• Prevention Videos (v-Tools): Construction Hazards. OSHA, (2011). Intended to assist those in the industry to identify, reduce, and eliminate construction-related hazards. Most of the videos are 2 to 4 minutes long, presented in clear, easily accessible vocabulary, and show common construction worksite activities. There are several related to Falls in Construction, including Floor Openings, Fixed Scaffolds, Bridge Decking, Reroofing and Leading Edge Work.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Safety and Health Topics Page.