Heard at the January
20, 2000, Public Hearing
Adopted on October 19, 2000
Approved by OAL on November 21, 2000
Effective December 21, 2000
Amend Section 1670 to read as follows:
§ 1670. Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Personal Fall Restraint Systems and Positioning Devices.
(a) Approved personal fall arrest, personal fall restraint or positioning systems
shall be worn by those employees whose work exposes them to falling in excess
of 7 ½ feet from the perimeter of a structure, unprotected sides and
edges, leading edges, through shaftways and openings, sloped roof surfaces steeper
than 7:12, or other sloped surfaces steeper than 40 degrees not otherwise adequately
protected under the provisions of these Orders.
NOTE:
(1) Requirements relating to fall protection for employees working at elevated
locations on poles, towers and other structures are provided in Section 2940.6(b)
and (c) of the High Voltage Electrical Safety Orders.
(2) Requirements relating to fall protection for employees working on poles,
towers or similar structures are provided in Section 8615(g) of the Telecommunication
Safety Orders.
(3) Requirements relating to fall protection for employees working in roofing
operations are provided in Section 1730 of the Construction Safety Orders.
Amend Section 1670 to read as follows:
(b) Personal fall arrest systems and their use shall comply with the provisions set forth below. Effective January 1,1998, except as permitted in subsections (c) and (d), body belts shall not be used as part of a personal fall arrest system.
* * * * *
(11) Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:
(A) limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 900 pounds when used
with a body belt;
(B)(A) limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds
when used with a body harness;
(C)(B) be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more
than 4 feet, nor contact any lower level, and, where practicable, the anchor
end of the lanyard shall be secured at a level not lower than the employee's
waist;
(D)(C) bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum
deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet; and
(E)(D) have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential
impact energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet, or the free
fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.
* * * * *
(13) Body belts, harnesses, and components shall be used only for employee
protection (as part of a personal fall arrest system or positioning device
system) and not to hoist materials. Body belts used in conjunction with
fall restraint systems or positioning devices shall limit the maximum arresting
force on an employee to 900 pounds.
(14) Personal fall arrest systems and components subjected to impact loading
shall be immediately removed from service and shall not be used again for employee
protection until inspected and determined by a competent person to be undamaged
and suitable for reuse.
(15)(14) The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees
in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves.
(16)(15) Personal fall arrest systems shall be inspected prior
to each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components
shall be removed from service.
(17)(16) Body belts shall be at least one and five-eighths
(1 5/8) inches wide.
(18)(17) Personal fall arrest systems shall not be attached to
guardrails, nor shall they be attached to hoists, except as specified
in these Orders, nor shall they be attached to guardrails unless the
guardrail is capable of safely supporting the load.
(19)(18) When a personal fall arrest system is used at hoist areas,
it shall be rigged to allow the movement of the employee only as far as the
edge of the working level or working area.
(20)(19) Each personal fall arrest system shall be inspected not
less than twice annually by a competent person in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommendations. The date of each inspection shall be documented.
Amend Section 1670 (continued):
(c) Positioning device systems.
Positioning device systems and their use shall conform to the following provisions:
(1) Positioning devices shall be rigged such that an employee cannot free fall
more than 2 feet.
(2) Positioning device systems shall be inspected prior to each use for wear,
damage, and other deterioration, and defective components shall be removed from
service.
(3) Body belts, harnesses, and components shall be used only for employee
protection (as part of a personal fall arrest system or positioning device system)
and not to hoist materials.
* * * * *
Amend Section 1670 (continued):
* * * * *
(e) Where practicable the anchor end of the lanyard shall be secured at
a level not lower than the employees waist, limiting the fall distance to a
maximum of 4 feet.
(f)(e) Lanyards shall be secured to a substantial member of the
structure or to securely rigged lines, using energy absorbing devices or
methods.
(g)(f) All fall arresting, descent control, and rescue equipment
shall be approved as defined in Sections 1504 and 1505 and used in accordance
with the manufacturer's recommendations.
(h)(g) If an employee's duties require horizontal movement, rigging
shall be provided so that the attached lanyard will slide along with the employee.
Such rigging shall be provided for all suspended staging, outdoor advertising
sign platforms, floats, and all other catwalks, or walkways 7 ½ feet
or more above the ground or level beneath.
NOTE: For additional fall protection requirements during steel erection operations,
see Article 29.
(i)(h) Any lanyard, safety belt, harness, dropline, lifeline
or other component or life line subjected to in-service loading,
as distinguished from static load testing, shall be immediately removed from
service and shall not be used again for employee safeguarding.
NOTE: For the purpose of this subsection, "in-service loading" shall
mean loading equivalent to that received in a drop test.
(j)(i) Lifelines and anchorages shall be capable of supporting
a minimum dead weight of 5000 pounds.
EXCEPTION: Retractable lanyards, controlled descent and rescue devices provided
they are approved as defined in Sections 1504 and 1505.
(k)(j) Lifelines subject to excessive fraying or rock damage shall
be protected and shall have a wire rope center. Seriously worn or damaged rope
shall be promptly removed from service.
(l)(k) All safety belts, harnesses and lanyards placed in service
or purchased on or before February 1, 1997, shall be labeled as meeting the
requirements contained in ANSI A10.14-1975, Requirements for Safety Belts, Harnesses,
Lanyards, Lifelines, and Drop Lines for Construction and Industrial Use or be
in compliance with the requirement stated in subsection (m)(l).
(m)(l) All personal fall arrest, personal fall restraint and positioning
device systems purchased or placed in service after February 1, 1997, shall
be labeled as meeting the requirements contained in ANSI A10.14-1991 American
National Standard for Construction and Demolition Use, or ANSI Z359.1-1992 American
National Standard Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems,
and Components.
NOTE: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3,
Labor Code.
Amend Section 1671.2 (b) to read as follows:
§ 1671.2. Controlled Access Zones and Safety Monitoring Systems.
* * * * *
(b) Safety monitoring systems.
(1) The employer shall designate a competent person to monitor the safety of
other employees and the employer shall ensure that the safety monitor complies
with the following requirements:
(A) The safety monitor shall be competent to recognize fall hazards;
(B) The safety monitor shall warn the employee when it appears that the employee
is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe manner;
(C) Where practicable, tThe safety monitor shall be within
visual sighting distance of the employee, orbut shall always be
in communication with the employee being monitored; and,
(D) The safety monitor shall be close enough to communicate orally with the
employee; and
(E)(D) The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities
which could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function.
* * * * *
NOTE: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.