Cranes and Derricks

OSHA-required fall protection for crane and derrick workers include the following:

Boom Walkways

• Equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 with lattice booms must be equipped with walkways on the boom(s) if the vertical profile of the boom is 6 or more feet.

Steps, Handholds, Ladders, Grabrails, Guardrails, and Railings

• The employer must maintain in good condition originally equipped steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails.
• Equipment manufactured after November 8, 2011 must provide safe access and egress between the ground and the operator workstation(s) by the provision of devices such as steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails.
• Tower cranes manufactured after November 8, 2011 must provide safe access and egress between the ground and the cab, machinery platforms, and tower (mast) by the provision of devices such as steps, handholds, ladders, and guardrails/railings/grabrails.

Fall Protection Equipment

• Either body belts or body harnesses must be used in personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems.
• For non-assembly/disassembly work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 6 feet above a lower level.
• For assembly/disassembly work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface 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.

Anchorage Criteria

• Personal fall arrest systems and positioning device systems must be anchored to any apparently substantial part of the equipment unless a competent person deems it not safe.
• Fall restraint systems must be anchored to any part of the equipment that is capable of withstanding twice the maximum load that an employee may impose on it during reasonably anticipated conditions of use.

Tower Cranes

• For work other than erecting, climbing, and dismantling, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 6 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.
• For erecting, climbing, and dismantling work, the employer must provide and ensure the use of fall protection equipment for employees who are on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge more than 15 feet above a lower level.

Training

The employer must train each employee who may be exposed to fall hazards while on, or hoisted by, crane and derrick equipment.

To learn more about Fall Protection visit our Construction Fall Protection Online Training web page.