Safety Standards: Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established to ensure safe working conditions by creating and enforcing workplace safety standards by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. One of the administration’s many areas of expertise is fall protection. Work-related falls are one of the most common causes of serious injuries and deaths.

For occupations that require workers to perform tasks at high altitudes, such as window cleaning, OSHA requires employers to provide working conditions that prevent employees from falling off overhead platforms and elevated workstations. Each employee
should be protected from falling 6 feet (1.8 meters) or more by guardrail systems or personal fall arrest systems, such as harnesses, safety nets or handrails. Additionally, employers must also select and provide protective equipment at no cost to workers.