Subpart D
Employers must train every employee who will be exposed to a fall hazard before that exposure occurs. This is required by 1910.30(a)(1), which also states employers had to ensure employees were trained in these requirements on or before May 17, 2017.
A qualified person must conduct the fall protection training. 1910.30(a)(2) requires the employer to ensure each employee is trained by a qualified person.
Training must cover the nature of fall hazards, how to recognize them, how to minimize them, correct procedures for installing/inspecting/operating/maintaining/disassembling the personal fall protection systems the employee uses, and the correct use of systems including proper hook-up, anchoring, tie-off, inspection, and storage methods. These topics are listed in 1910.30(a)(3) and its subsections.
Employees must be trained in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by this subpart before they use the equipment and, for existing employees, on or before May 17, 2017. 1910.30(b)(1) requires that training occur prior to equipment use.
Employees who use a dockboard must be trained to properly place and secure it to prevent unintentional movement. That specific requirement is in 1910.30(b)(2).
Employees who use a rope descent system must be trained in proper rigging and use of the equipment in accordance with 1910.27. 1910.30(b)(3) makes that link explicit.
Employees who use a designated area must be trained in the proper set-up and use of that designated area. 1910.30(b)(4) requires this training prior to use.
An employer must retrain an employee whenever the employer has reason to believe the employee lacks the understanding or skill required by 1910.30(a) and 1910.30(b). Specific retraining triggers include changes in the workplace that make previous training obsolete, changes in equipment or systems that render previous training inadequate, or observed inadequacies in the employee's knowledge or use of fall protection systems. See 1910.30(c) and 1910.30(c)(1)–(3).
Training must be provided in a manner that each employee understands. 1910.30(d) requires employers to make sure information and training are delivered so employees comprehend them.
Yes. 1910.30(c)(2) specifically requires retraining when changes in the types of fall protection systems or equipment render previous training obsolete or inadequate.
Employees must be trained in the correct use of personal fall protection systems, including proper hook-up, anchoring, tie-off techniques, and methods of equipment inspection and storage as specified by the manufacturer. This is required by 1910.30(a)(3)(iv).
Yes. 1910.30(b)(1) requires employers to train each employee in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by this subpart before the employee uses that equipment.
If inadequacies in an employee's knowledge or use of fall protection indicate the employee no longer has the required understanding or skill, the employer must retrain that employee. This is stated in 1910.30(c)(3).
The standard does not exempt infrequent or temporary tasks from training; 1910.30(a)(1) requires training before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, regardless of frequency. Retraining may also be required if workplace conditions or tasks change under 1910.30(c).
OSHA's training standard applies to employees exposed to fall hazards, but specific fall protection requirements for low-slope roofs depend on the work performed and distance from the roof edge; OSHA has advised that stepping from a portable ladder onto a low-slope roof and walking directly to a work area 25 feet from the edge does not, by itself, trigger a fall protection requirement. See OSHA's interpretation on fall protection for low-slope roofs at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-06-06-1, and consider the training obligations of 1910.30 for any tasks that do create fall hazards.
Yes, if those supervisors meet the standard's requirement of being a qualified person. 1910.30(a)(2) requires training be conducted by a qualified person; the employer must ensure the trainer has the knowledge and skills to train others effectively.
1910.30(c)(2) requires retraining when changes in the types of fall protection systems or equipment render previous training obsolete or inadequate, so you must retrain affected employees whenever you introduce equipment that changes how they must work safely.
Yes. 1910.30(a)(3)(iii) requires training in correct procedures for inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall protection systems an employee uses, and 1910.30(a)(3)(iv) requires training on inspection and storage methods specified by the manufacturer.
Employers must provide training in a manner employees understand per 1910.30(d), and they must retrain when they have reason to believe an employee does not have the required understanding or skill under 1910.30(c). Practical verification methods include observation of employee work, workplace evaluations, and documented demonstrations of skill; if these show deficiencies, retrain per 1910.30(c)(3).
Trainers must instruct rope descent users in proper rigging and use in accordance with 1910.27, as required by 1910.30(b)(3).