The newest OSHA revisions include the following criteria for OSHA 1910.29 (b): “Fall protection systems and falling object protection — criteria and practices.” The employer must ensure guardrail systems meet the following requirements:
- (13)(i) Has a self-closing gate that slides or swings away from the hole, and is equipped with a top rail and mid-rail, or equivalent intermediate member, that meets the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section; or (13)(ii) is offset to prevent an employee from walking or falling into the hole.
- (2)(i) Mid-rails are installed at a height midway between the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking-working surface.
- (2)(iv) Other equivalent intermediate members, such as additional mid-rails and architectural panels, are installed so that the openings are not more than 48 centimeters wide.
To provide even more insight, below is a simplified list of some key areas to focus on when evaluating your current conditions. These can be used to help you determine the appropriate course of action in and around any holes, openings, or current access points with or without safety gates.
OSHA’s standard requires that a safety gate:
- Must be self-closing.
- Must either slide or swing away from the hole.
- Must be equipped with top rails and mid-rails, or equivalent intermediate members, that meet the requirements in final paragraph (b)(13)(i).
- Must have a top rail height of 1070 mm, plus/minus 75 mm.
- May not contain an opening greater than 480mm in the least dimension.
- Must be able to withstand a 90 kg load (top rail) and 68 kg load (mid-rail). So what exactly do the new revisions mean regarding the use of safety gates? What should you look for when reviewing your current safe access/fall protection configuration?