The Six-Foot Rule

OSHA requires employers to provide fall protection to construction workers when working at a height of six feet above level. (This distance is four feet in general industry and five feet in maritime.) But even if the distance is less than six feet, employers must provide fall protection to employees who work over or above dangerous equipment and machinery, such as working over machinery with open drive belts, pulleys, or gears or open vats of degreasing agents or acid.

"Fall protection" refers to guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). OSHA refers to these systems as conventional fall protection. Other systems and methods may be used depending on the activity. For example, a positioning device system can be used when working on formwork.

OSHA encourages employers to select systems that prevent falls of any kind. The importance of fall protection cannot be stressed enough. Fall prevention and protection are covered later throughout this section of the course.

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