Question 1

Under 1926.1423(a), which parts of the fall protection rule apply to all cranes and which apply only to tower cranes?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Paragraphs (b), (c)(3), (e) and (f) apply to all equipment covered by this subpart except tower cranes, while paragraphs (c)(4) and (h) apply only to tower cranes; several other paragraphs apply to all equipment covered by the subpart. See the specific assignments in §1926.1423(a)). For a full list of which paragraphs apply to all equipment and which are tower crane–only, review §1926.1423(a)(1)(1)), §1926.1423(a)(2)(2)) and §1926.1423(a)(3)(3)).

Question 2

Under 1926.1423(b)(1), when must lattice booms be equipped with boom walkways?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Lattice booms on equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 must have walkways on the boom(s) when the boom’s vertical profile (cord centerline to cord centerline) is 6 feet or more. Requirement text is in §1926.1423(b)(1)(1)). Walkways must also meet the width and other criteria in §1926.1423(b)(2)(2)).

Question 3

Under 1926.1423(b)(2)(i), how wide must boom walkways be?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Boom walkways must be at least 12 inches wide. See the minimum width requirement in §1926.1423(b)(2)(i)(2)(i)).

Question 4

Under 1926.1423(b)(2)(ii) and its subparts, when are guardrails or permanent fall-protection attachments allowed or prohibited on boom walkways?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Guardrails, railings, and other permanent fall protection attachments along boom walkways are generally not required, and they are prohibited where they could be snagged by pendant ropes or bars or if they are removable (installed/removed each time the boom is assembled/disassembled); where allowed they may be up to 45 inches high. The general position is in §1926.1423(b)(2)(ii)(2)(ii)). Specific prohibitions and height limit are in §1926.1423(b)(2)(ii)(B)(2)(ii)(B)), §1926.1423(b)(2)(ii)(C)(2)(ii)(C)), and §1926.1423(b)(2)(ii)(D)(2)(ii)(D)).

Question 5

Under 1926.1423(c)(2) and (c)(3), what must employers do about steps, handholds, ladders, guardrails and grabrails on cranes manufactured after November 8, 2011?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Employers must maintain originally equipped steps, handholds, ladders and guardrails/railings/grabrails in good condition, and equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 must be equipped to provide safe access and egress using such devices that meet the listed design criteria. Maintenance requirement: §1926.1423(c)(2)(2)). New equipment access requirement and criteria: §1926.1423(c)(3)(3)). The design standards referenced (SAE J185 and ISO 11660 2) are incorporated by reference in §1926.6.

Question 6

What slip-resistance does 1926.1423(c)(3)(ii) require for walking/stepping surfaces on crane equipment?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Walking and stepping surfaces (except crawler treads) must have slip resistant features such as diamond plate, grip tape, expanded metal, or slip resistant paint. See the surface requirement in §1926.1423(c)(3)(ii)(3)(ii)). Tower crane walking surfaces have a similar requirement in §1926.1423(c)(4)(ii)(4)(ii)).

Question 7

Under 1926.1423(d), what requirements apply to personal fall arrest and fall restraint system components used on cranes?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Components used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems must conform to the criteria in §1926.502(d)), except that §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) does not apply to components used in these systems on equipment covered by this subpart. The rule is stated in §1926.1423(d)). For the general personal fall arrest component criteria, see §1926.502(d)).

Question 8

Under 1926.1423(e), when must employers provide fall protection for employees moving point-to-point on crane booms?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: For non assembly/disassembly work, employers must provide fall protection when employees are moving point to point on non lattice booms (any orientation), on lattice booms that are not horizontal, and on horizontal lattice booms where the fall distance is 15 feet or more. See the moving point to point criteria in §1926.1423(e)(1)(1)) and its subparts §1926.1423(e)(1)(i)(1)(i)), §1926.1423(e)(1)(ii)(1)(ii)), and §1926.1423(e)(1)(iii)(1)(iii)).

Question 9

Under 1926.1423(e)(2), when must fall protection be provided while at a work station on crane equipment?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Employers must provide fall protection while an employee is at a work station on any part of the equipment (including the boom), except when the employee is at or near draw works while the equipment is running, in the cab, or on the deck. See §1926.1423(e)(2)(2)).

Question 10

Under 1926.1423(f), what are the fall protection thresholds for assembly and disassembly work on cranes?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: For assembly/disassembly work, employers must provide fall protection for employees on walking/working surfaces with an unprotected side or edge more than 15 feet above a lower level, except when the employee is at or near draw works (when the equipment is running), in the cab, or on the deck. See the assembly/disassembly threshold in §1926.1423(f)).

Question 11

Under 1926.1423(g)(2), what anchors may be used for personal fall arrest and positioning device systems on cranes without an engineering analysis?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Personal fall arrest systems and positioning device systems may be anchored to any apparently substantial part of the equipment unless a competent person, from a visual inspection (without an engineering analysis), would conclude that the criteria in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) for PFAS or §1926.502(e)(2)(2)) for positioning devices would not be met. See the anchor rules in §1926.1423(g)(2)(i)(2)(i)) and §1926.1423(g)(2)(ii)(2)(ii)). Attachable (portable) anchors must meet the criteria in §1926.1423(g)(2)(iii)(2)(iii)).

Question 12

Under 1926.1423(g)(3), what strength must anchor points for fall restraint systems meet?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Anchor points for fall restraint systems must be capable of withstanding twice the maximum load that an employee may impose on them during reasonably anticipated conditions of use. See the fall restraint anchorage strength requirement in §1926.1423(g)(3)(3)).

Question 13

Under 1926.1423(h), what fall protection thresholds apply specifically to tower crane workers?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: For tower cranes, for work other than erecting, climbing, and dismantling, fall protection is required when an employee is on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 6 feet above a lower level; for erecting, climbing, and dismantling work the threshold is more than 15 feet. See the tower crane thresholds in §1926.1423(h)(1)(1)) and §1926.1423(h)(2)(2)). The tower crane access and egress equipment requirements are in §1926.1423(c)(4)(4)).

Question 14

Under 1926.1423(j), when is it permitted to anchor a personal fall arrest system to the crane’s hook or load line, and what conditions must be met?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Anchoring a personal fall arrest system to the crane/derrick’s hook or other part of the load line is permitted only when a qualified person has determined that the crane setup and rated capacity (including hook, load line and rigging) meet or exceed the requirements of [§1926.502(d)(15)]; the equipment operator is on site and informed of the use; and no load is suspended from the load line while the PFAS is attached. The general permission and qualified person requirement are in §1926.1423(j)(1)(1)). Operator presence and notification: §1926.1423(j)(2)(2)). No suspended load requirement: §1926.1423(j)(3)(3)). For the anchorage strength and performance criteria to be compared against, see §1926.502(d)(15)(15)).

Question 15

Under 1926.1423(d) the rule says components must conform to 1926.502(d) "except that 1926.502(d)(15) does not apply." What does that mean in practice?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: It means personal fall arrest and fall restraint system components (like harnesses, lanyards, connectors) used on equipment in this subpart must meet the general performance and design criteria found in §1926.502(d)), but the specific requirement in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) (which addresses certain anchorage and testing details) does not apply to those components for this subpart. See the text in §1926.1423(d)). For the criteria that do apply, consult §1926.502(d)).

Question 16

Under 1926.1423(e) and (f), how do the fall protection distance requirements differ based on the task (non-assembly vs assembly/disassembly)?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: For non assembly/disassembly work, fall protection is required when walking/working surfaces have an unprotected side or edge more than 6 feet above a lower level (with additional moving point to point specifics in §1926.1423(e)(1)(1))); for assembly/disassembly work the trigger is 15 feet. Non assembly/disassembly requirements: §1926.1423(e)) and §1926.1423(e)(1)(1)). Assembly/disassembly requirement: §1926.1423(f)).

Question 17

Under 1926.1423(k), what training must employers provide to employees exposed to fall hazards on cranes and derricks?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Employers must train any employee who may be exposed to fall hazards while on or hoisted by equipment covered by this subpart on the fall protection requirements in this subpart and the applicable requirements in [§§1926.500 and 1926.502]. Training requirement is stated in §1926.1423(k)). The subpart explicitly requires training on §1926.1423(k)(1)(1)) and §1926.1423(k)(2)(2)). For general fall protection system details, consult §1926.502.

Question 18

Can attachable (portable) anchor devices be used on cranes, and what criteria must they meet under 1926.1423(g)(2)(iii)?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Yes—attachable anchor devices may be used, but they must meet the anchorage criteria in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) for personal fall arrest systems and §1926.502(e)(2)(2)) for positioning device systems. See the attachable anchor device requirement in §1926.1423(g)(2)(iii)(2)(iii)). Compare the specific anchorage criteria in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) and §1926.502(e)(2)(2)).

Question 19

Does 1926.1423(c)(1) make the general fall protection rule in 1926.502(b) applicable to cranes?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: No—§1926.502(b)) does not apply to equipment covered by this subpart, per §1926.1423(c)(1)(1)). See the explicit exception in §1926.1423(c)(1)(1)). Other parts of §1926.502 still apply to components and anchorage as referenced elsewhere in this subpart (for example, see §1926.1423(d))).

Question 20

Under 1926.1423(c)(4)(i), what design standards must tower-crane access devices meet if manufactured after November 8, 2011?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Tower crane steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails must meet ISO 11660 1:2008(E) and ISO 11660 3:2008(E) or SAE J185 (May 2003), except where infeasible. See the tower crane device criteria in §1926.1423(c)(4)(i)(4)(i)). Those referenced standards are incorporated by reference in §1926.6.

Question 21

If a competent person visually inspects a crane and decides an anchor is not adequate, does 1926.1423(g)(2) allow use of other anchors without engineering analysis?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: No—§1926.1423(g)(2)(i) and (ii)(2)(i)) allow anchoring to any apparently substantial part of the equipment only unless a competent person, from a visual inspection, would conclude the criteria in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) (for PFAS) or §1926.502(e)(2)(2)) (for positioning) would not be met—if the competent person concludes the criteria are not met, then that apparently substantial part cannot be used without further analysis or different anchorage. See the visual inspection/competent person condition in §1926.1423(g)(2)(2)).

Question 22

Under 1926.1423(j)(2), what must the equipment operator be told when a fall arrest system is attached to the hook or load line?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: The equipment operator must be at the work site and informed that the equipment is being used for anchoring a personal fall arrest system to the hook or load line. See the operator presence and notification requirement in §1926.1423(j)(2)(2)). Also remember the no load condition in §1926.1423(j)(3)(3)).

Question 23

Where can employers find the performance and design criteria they must follow for personal fall arrest systems referenced in 1926.1423(d) and (g)?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: Employers should follow the performance and design criteria in §1926.502(d)) (except as modified by this subpart) and the anchorage criteria in §1926.502(d)(15)(15)) and §1926.502(e)(2)(2)) when those sections are referenced by this subpart. See the component and anchorage cross references in §1926.1423(d)) and §1926.1423(g)). For full PFAS performance criteria, consult §1926.502(d)).

Question 24

How does OSHA’s scaffold and fall protection interpretation (Dec. 5, 2023) relate to fall protection requirements for suspended conveyances and similar elevated platforms?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: OSHA’s December 5, 2023 interpretation clarifies that conveyances and similar temporary suspended platforms meet the definition of a suspended scaffold and therefore must follow fall protection and falling object protection requirements in [§1926.451(g) and (h)], which aligns with the Agency’s approach that specific equipment configurations dictate applicable fall protection rules. See the interpretation about suspended conveyances in OSHA’s Letter of Interpretation: "Scaffold and fall protection clarification" (Dec. 5, 2023) at https://www.osha.gov/laws regs/standardinterpretations/2023 12 05. Relevant scaffold fall protection rules referenced by that interpretation are in §1926.451(g) and §1926.451(h).

Question 25

If an employer needs to decide whether to use a body belt or a body harness for fall protection on cranes covered by this subpart, what does 1926.1423(d) require?

Accepted Answer

The answer is: The subpart requires that either body belts or body harnesses must be used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems for equipment covered by this subpart. See the equipment requirement at the start of §1926.1423(e) and (d)). For additional guidance about system components and performance, refer to §1926.502(d)).

Fall protection for cranes

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