OSHA Fall Protection 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When must an employer develop a written fall protection plan?
- Whenever any employee works at height
- Only when conventional fall protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard (Correct answer)
- When more than 10 workers are on a roof simultaneously
- Whenever scaffolding is used at any height
Correct answer: Only when conventional fall protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard
A written fall protection plan is required under OSHA only when conventional fall protection systems (guardrails, nets, PFAS) are infeasible or would create a greater hazard, and the plan must be prepared by a qualified person.
Question 2: What is the required anchorage strength for a personal fall arrest system (PFAS)?
- 2,500 lbs per employee attached
- 3,000 lbs per employee attached
- 5,000 lbs per employee attached (Correct answer)
- 10,000 lbs per employee attached
Correct answer: 5,000 lbs per employee attached
OSHA requires PFAS anchorage points to support a minimum of 5,000 pounds per employee attached, or be designed by a qualified person with a safety factor of at least two.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT an acceptable form of fall protection under OSHA?
- Personal fall arrest system
- Safety net system
- Guardrail system
- Safety monitoring system used alone in general industry (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Safety monitoring system used alone in general industry
A safety monitoring system alone is acceptable in construction for certain low-slope roofing work but is generally NOT an accepted sole means of fall protection in general industry under 29 CFR 1910.
Question 4: What does OSHA require employers to do before any employee works in an area where fall hazards exist?
- Issue a written warning to the employee
- Conduct a job hazard analysis and implement fall protection measures (Correct answer)
- Require the employee to sign a waiver
- Post a sign warning of the fall hazard only
Correct answer: Conduct a job hazard analysis and implement fall protection measures
Employers must identify fall hazards through a job hazard analysis and implement appropriate fall protection controls before workers are exposed to those hazards.
Question 5: When using a self-retracting lifeline (SRL), where should the anchor point ideally be located?
- At foot level for maximum mobility
- Directly overhead or as high as possible above the worker (Correct answer)
- At the worker's waist level for comfort
- On a horizontal lifeline at shoulder height
Correct answer: Directly overhead or as high as possible above the worker
Anchoring an SRL directly overhead minimizes fall distance and swing-fall hazard, providing the most effective fall arrest when the worker falls straight down.
Question 6: Which standard covers fall protection requirements for general industry walking-working surfaces?
- 29 CFR 1926.502
- 29 CFR 1910.28 and 1910.29 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1910.146
- 29 CFR 1926.451
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.28 and 1910.29
29 CFR 1910.28 (duty to have fall protection) and 1910.29 (fall protection systems criteria) are the OSHA standards governing fall protection for general industry walking-working surfaces.
OSHA Fall Protection 2
When must an employer develop a written fall protection plan?