Check guardrails, openings, anchors and personal fall arrest systems before work at height begins.
Falls are a leading cause of serious injury in construction. Most fall hazards can be found in a short walk: unprotected edges, uncovered holes, damaged equipment.
OSHA and state plans set specific requirements for fall protection. Use this list as a site check, and confirm details with your safety professional and the current regulations.
15 items. Complete it digitally or on paper, whichever your team prefers.
On a two-story framing job, the morning check finds an uncovered stair opening and a lanyard with a frayed section. The opening is covered and marked, the lanyard is tagged out, and work at the second floor resumes after both fixes.
Falls are a leading cause of death in construction, and OSHA’s fall protection rules for construction require protection at 6 feet and inspection of equipment. A daily check by a competent person records that edges, anchors and gear were checked before workers were exposed.
| Site | Hillside townhomes, Bldg 4, Nashville TN |
|---|---|
| Inspector and date | Competent person Luis, Mon 6:45 am, Oct 12 |
| Edges | Rear roof edge guardrail missing one post; fixed |
| Openings | Stair opening covered with plywood, marked HOLE |
| Anchors | Roof anchors 3 and 4 installed per spec |
| Equipment | 5 harnesses OK; 1 SRL with deployed indicator tagged out |
| Weather | Wind 12 mph; work cleared to proceed |
The self-retracting lifeline with a deployed indicator has already caught a fall, so it is removed from service even if it looks fine. Wind is recorded because gusts affect roofers handling sheet materials.
A competent person designated for the site.
Before each shift and when conditions change.
Remove it from service as the manufacturer requires.
Yes, workers in a harness need prompt rescue.
Before each use, check the webbing for cuts, burns, frays and chemical damage, look at stitching for broken or pulled threads, and check buckles and D-rings for cracks, distortion or sharp edges. Make sure any fall indicator has not deployed. Remove a harness from service if anything is wrong, and have a competent person inspect it at the interval the manufacturer sets.
Clear fall distance is the space needed below the worker so they stop before hitting the ground or a lower level. Add the lanyard length, the deceleration distance, the worker’s height below the D-ring and a safety margin, often about 3 feet more. If the space below is too short, use a self-retracting lifeline or a different anchor.
More for the same job
Use the fall protection inspection checklist for the record you need today. To see who clocked in, and when, book a demo of EZTime.