Amend Section 1670 to read:
§ 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. When employees are working on roof surfaces sloped 7:12 or less, or other
surfaces sloped 40 degrees or less, approved fall protection shall be worn when the fall
distance exceeds 15 feet.
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.
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(b) Personal fall protection arrest systems and their use shall
comply with the applicable 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.
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(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;(A) limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds when
used with a body harness;
(B)
(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.
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(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.(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.
(15)
(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.
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(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.
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(e) Where practicable the anchor end of the lanyard shall be secured at a level not lo
wer 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 componentor 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 as specified by ANSI A10.14-1975,
A10.14-1991 or Z359.1-1992, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
(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:
§ 1671.2. Controlled Access Zones and Safety Monitoring Systems.
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(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; andD) The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities which
could take the monitor’s attention from the monitoring function.
(E)(
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Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code