Fall Protection: Leading Edge Safety Tipsheet

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Description:
  A leading edge is the unprotected side and edge of a floor, roof, or formwork for a floor or other walking/working surface (such as a deck) that changes location as components are added. It is called a leading edge because the location of the edge changes as workers add or construct additional floor, roof, decking, or formwork sections. When a leading edge is not actively and continuously under construction - and therefore is not moving, it is considered an "unprotected side or edge". Employers must protect all workers constructing a leading edge that is 6 feet or more above lower levels from falling through use of passive engineering controls (e.g., guardrails, safety net systems) and/or active systems (e.g., travel restraint or personal fall arrest systems). When there is no overhead anchorage point available on a leading edge, workers often tie off at foot level. If they fall, it causes the lifeline to catch and pull taut on the leading edge. The positioning of the lifeline along the edge can also add increased force on both the lifeline and the worker's body. This can cause a standard lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (SRL) to break or be cut. Always work with your competent person and your qualified person to ensure the best fall prevention and protection methods and equipment are in place. These may be the same person or two different people on your site. A competent person is capable of identifying and correcting fall-related hazards, while a qualified person is approved to supervise the design, installation, and inspection of fall protection and rescue systems. To Protect Workers on A Leading Edge, Consider Implementing the Following Measures: 1) Use a guardrail system or safety net system as close to the working level as possible. 2) Use a fall restraint system to prevent access to the leading edge fall hazard. 3) Use overhead anchorage solutions whenever possible. 4) Equip workers with Class 2 SRLs that are made of materials that can withstand a sharp edge and include energy/shock absorption. 5) Consider the building materials being used. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Accidental Falls
  • Construction
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Construction industry
  • Falls
  • Injury prevention
  • Fall protection
  • Engineering controls
  • Anchoring
• Series:
  CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training Publications
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  2 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071852
• Citation:
  Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2024 Apr; :1-2
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  2009/09/01
• End Date:
  2024/08/31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260074/cdc_260074_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 211.87 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2c06e9442d9c30559ff78337f81f74826c1184cf3082f3522918bff5c0ac4f17ad45173816b9b794a4c35a0473684d6b25779e5714bf2e68988d80a96dd8e303