Fall protection is a job site safety requirement nationally and in the State of Washington. In our state, construction site safety is enforced by the Labor and Industries (L&I) through the Division of Safety and Health (DOSH).
Fall protection consists of a variety of methods employed on construction sites to prevent injuries from falls. The most common methods are:
- Guardrails at open edges of platforms
- Harnesses worn by workers and restraint lines which fasten them to the building
- Covers over openings in floors
- Safety monitor or safety watch
- Handrails on all stairwells that are four steps or more; or rising more than 30 inches
Job sites are required to meet safety requirements and our inspectors are responsible to abide by requirements for basic Fall Protection. They are also obligated to comply with the State WAC rules. The applicable State regulation is WAC 296-155 Part C-1. It is available for review on the LNI website.
If a Seattle inspector is at a site where an unsafe condition is present, they will not enter the unsafe area, which could result in failure of your inspection.
If you have questions or comments on Seattle inspections, please contact the Seattle Chief Building Inspector Dave Cordaro at 206-684-7933 or dave.cordaro@seattle.gov.
