Residential roof fall protection training Residential roofs are subject to OSHA regulations, and unprotected workers can be cited and fined just like in commercial construction. In residential roofing projects, you're more likely to want to work with fall protection systems than with a fall arrest system. The main reason is that the separation distances in the event of a fall tend to be smaller in residential environments. OSHA requires that the free fall distance (the distance from the start of a fall to the time the fall arrest system is activated) not exceed 6 feet.
Overhead mooring is generally not available in residential roofing applications, and the drop distance at most residential roofing work sites is not sufficient to support a tether at a foot level. Tiing at foot height often requires 16 to 21 feet of distance for falls, so workers in sites with less free space should use a fall restraint system. Or moving above a lower level must be protected. For construction workers and roofers, this may seem like a ridiculously low threshold.
However, OSHA has thousands of investigative cases on its side. Its objective is the safety of workers and the creation of environments in which the necessary work can be carried out as safely as possible. If you find yourself working on a roof with no warning line, no monitor, no fall arrest system, no rails or nets, you shouldn't be working there. The directive's alternative procedures are available to those involved in residential construction only if the work falls into one of the four specific job categories described in the directive (such as roofing work).
But what happens when we get further away? How far away can I be from the roof edge to stop worrying about fall protection? Is there an answer to that question? In commercial roofing jobs, fall slack is not usually a limiting factor, giving you much more flexibility to use fall arrest systems attached to the appropriate anchor points. In residential construction, OSHA cites and sanctions builders, remodelers, developers, roofers, painters, cladding and gutter contractors, and any trade that exposes its workers to falls from heights of 6 feet or more above a lower level. This makes it quite obvious that anyone who is close to the edge of the roof would need PFAS, rails, or some means of fall protection. Common anchors for residential roofing applications include a reusable or permanent roof anchor mounted on the truss.
Fortunately, OSHA recognizes the fact that a person who works in the center of a large roof with no reason to leave that work area has very little actual exposure to a fall on the edge of the roof. Residential roofs generally tend to require a fall restraint system, while commercial roofs are generally better suited to fall arrest systems. When it comes to OSHA, there is no safe distance from the edge of a roof, so it must be protected. This simple but effective fall protection kit for roofers features a 50-foot DBI-SALA reusable roof anchor.
In the residential construction industry, contractors are not required by the government to provide proof of training with OSHA certifications 10 and 30 as a prerequisite for performing a job. Knowing beforehand the type of workplace you have and the condition of the roof, including built-in fall protection systems, will help you arrive prepared. .
