Fall Protection Basics

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. Most fatal falls are from less than 20 feet, and almost all of them could have been prevented with proper planning and equipment.

• Construction
• General Industry

When fall protection is required

Some state plans have different trigger heights. Your employer’s rules may also be stricter, and many contractors require “100% tie-off” above 6 feet everywhere.

The main types of fall protection

1. Eliminate the fall: do the work on the ground, use extension poles, or prefabricate.
2. Prevent the fall (passive): guardrails, hole covers, and scissor lifts or scaffolds with rails.
3. Restrain the worker: a fall restraint system keeps you from reaching the edge at all.
4. Arrest the fall: personal fall arrest systems or safety nets stop you after you fall.
5. Administrative: warning lines, safety monitors and controlled access zones, only where specifically allowed.

Before you work at height

• Is there a fall protection plan for this task? Who is the competent person?
• Have I been trained on the fall protection equipment I’m using?
• Is my equipment inspected and in good condition?
• Is my anchor strong enough and in the right place?
• Do I have enough fall clearance below me?
• Is there a rescue plan if I fall? See Fall Rescue.

The ABCs of a personal fall arrest system

• A, Anchorage: must support 5,000 pounds per worker, or be designed by a qualified person with a safety factor of at least two. See Anchorage Points.
• B, Body harness: full-body harness only (body belts aren’t allowed for fall arrest). Inspect it before every use. See Harness Inspection & Fitting.
• C, Connector: a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline, rigged so you can’t free fall more than 6 feet or hit a lower level.

A 6-foot shock-absorbing lanyard can need around 18 feet or more of clearance below the anchor once you add the lanyard length, deceleration, your height and a safety margin. On low work, a self-retracting lifeline or restraint is often the only option that works. See Fall Clearance.

Hidden fall hazards

• Skylights and roof openings: skylights won’t hold a person. Cover them or guard them with rails.
• Holes in floors and decks: covers must hold twice the expected load, be secured, and be marked “HOLE” or “COVER.” See Holes & Floor Openings.
• Ladders: a leading cause of falls. Pick the right ladder, set it at the right angle, extend it 3 feet above the landing, and keep three points of contact. See Ladder Basics.
• Scaffolds: missing guardrails, planks and safe access cause many falls. See Scaffold Basics.
• Lifts: scissor lifts rely on guardrails, while boom lifts require a harness tied off to the basket. See Aerial Lifts and Scissor Lifts.
• Same-level falls: slips and trips can be deadly too, especially near edges. See Slips & Trips.

After a fall

A worker hanging in a harness can develop suspension trauma within minutes, as blood pools in the legs. Rescue must be prompt, so plan it before work starts rather than relying on 911 alone. Any harness, lanyard or lifeline that has stopped a fall must be taken out of service. See Fall Rescue.

Training

In construction, every worker who might be exposed to fall hazards must be trained by a competent person to recognize fall hazards and use the fall protection systems they will be using, and the employer must certify the training in writing. Workers must be retrained when the work changes, the equipment changes, or they show they don’t understand the training.

Last updated: October 1, 2026