A nice debate flared up about the mentioned subject.  Our roof has a raised edge (about 24" tall?) and our guys are debating on whether or not fall protection would be required.  I say we set up a warning line system 6' away from the edge and still provide anchor points for tie-off when necessary.  Someone else says to put up a full guardrail system around the perimeter of the roof.  The third person says we don't need it at all.

Work performed:  Changing filters on air handling units located approximately 7'0" from inside of raised roof edge.

I remember reading a proposed standard about a "designated area", but found nothing in the general industry standards (which I'm not too familiar with since I deal mainly with construction).  What would the OSHA minimum requirements be?

-Justin

Justin,

There is no general industry standard for high work. General industry gets cited under the general duty clause. We use the construction fall protection standard as our basis.  

For the raised edge to be considered a guard rail it must be at least 42 inches tall and capable of withstanding 200 lbs. of force in an outward or downward direction.

A warning line is probably the cheapest solution. However, if it is going to be a permanent fixture, spend some money on archored posts and heavy duty wire or rope to prevent drooping. Also you need to consider the cost of installing anchors on an already constructed roof. We looked at it ant the cost was 10-15k per anchor due to the roof penetration and additional supports needed.

My firm installed guardrails in areas where we thought employees would be working within 6' of the edge. The cost was approximately $45.00 per linear foot. We also painted a stripe around the 6' perimeter as a reminder.

MikeCJ