Subpart R
Materials, equipment, and tools that are not in use while aloft must be secured to prevent accidental displacement. Employers can secure items by tethering tools, using tool lanyards, storing loose materials in closed containers, installing screens or guardrails, or using nets and toe-boards where appropriate. See 1926.759(a) for the requirement to secure items aloft.
The controlling contractor must stop other construction work below steel erection unless overhead protection for the employees below is provided. This means the controlling contractor must either provide effective overhead protection (for example, decking, canopy, or approved catch platforms) or bar work below until protection is in place. See 1926.759(b).
The protection requirement in 1926.759(b) specifically addresses falling objects other than materials being hoisted; it requires the controlling contractor to bar processes below steel erection unless overhead protection is provided. Materials being hoisted are addressed by other erection and hoisting rules, but 1926.759(a) still requires that loose items aloft which are not in use be secured against accidental displacement. See 1926.759(a) and 1926.759(b).
Yes — securing tools with lanyards or tethers is an acceptable way to prevent accidental displacement of tools when aloft. Employers should select methods that reliably prevent tools from falling to areas below and train workers in their use. The general requirement to secure loose items aloft appears in 1926.759(a).
Overhead protection can include fixed or temporary protective structures such as decking, canopies, catch platforms, scaffold-type overhead platforms, or other engineered barriers that stop or deflect falling objects away from employees below. The controlling contractor must ensure the protection is effective before allowing other processes below to continue. This obligation is stated in 1926.759(b). For additional guidance on overhead and falling-object protection in suspended scaffold situations, see the OSHA letter of interpretation, Scaffold and fall protection clarification.
The controlling contractor is responsible for barring other construction processes below steel erection unless overhead protection is provided. That means the controlling contractor must prohibit or halt those lower-level activities until adequate overhead protection is in place. This duty is set out in 1926.759(b).
OSHA treats conveyances or platforms that meet the definition of a suspended scaffold as subject to scaffold fall- and falling-object-protection rules, so overhead and falling-object protection must meet scaffold requirements. That means workers on or under suspended scaffolds must have the protections required by the scaffold standards. See the OSHA letter of interpretation, Scaffold and fall protection clarification, which explains that suspended conveyances meet the scaffold definition and should comply with the falling-object provisions in scaffold standards.
Yes — regular housekeeping and proper storage of loose materials on elevated surfaces are part of securing items aloft and help prevent accidental displacement. Employers should remove unnecessary loose items, secure stored materials, and keep walkways and work platforms clear. The requirement to secure items alovet when not in use is in 1926.759(a).
Yes — the controlling contractor must ensure that other contractors do not perform processes below steel erection unless adequate overhead protection is provided, which requires coordination and communication among contractors and subcontractors on site. This responsibility is stated in 1926.759(b).
No — 1926.759(b) requires the controlling contractor to bar work below steel erection unless overhead protection is provided; this is a planning and engineering control, not simply PPE. While PPE such as hard hats is a necessary line of defense, it does not replace the requirement to provide overhead protection or to stop work below unprotected steel erection. See 1926.759(b). For information on employer obligations to assess hazards and provide appropriate PPE, see the OSHA letter of interpretation, PPE hazard assessment requirements.
Yes — even when hoisting operations are underway, 1926.759(a) still requires that materials, equipment, and tools not in use while aloft be secured against accidental displacement. Employers must ensure hoisting operations do not create additional hazards from unsecured items. See 1926.759(a).
The controlling contractor should either install effective overhead protection or stop lower-level work until protection is in place. Practical steps include:
These measures implement the obligation in 1926.759(b). For scaffold-related overhead protections, see Scaffold and fall protection clarification.
Yes — temporary conveyances or platforms that meet the definition of a suspended scaffold must meet the scaffold fall- and falling-object-protection requirements, including overhead and falling-object protection. OSHA explains that conveyances operating with temporary guides, suspension cables, or temporary hoists meet the suspended scaffold definition and must comply with scaffold protection rules. See 1926.759 and the OSHA interpretation, Scaffold and fall protection clarification.
Yes — as an interim control, establishing and enforcing exclusion zones or barring other processes below steel erection is permitted under 1926.759(b) until physical overhead protection is provided. The controlling contractor must prevent employees from being in exposed areas below steel erection unless proper overhead protection exists. See 1926.759(b).