Kentucky Fall Protection (Construction): What you need to know

Kentucky is a “state plan” state; that is, it has its own federally approved occupational safety and health regulatory program. The Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Program (KY OSH) governs both public (state, county, and local governments) and private (private businesses and nonprofit organizations) sector workplaces, except for the Tennessee Valley Authority and federal facilities. State requirements for fall protection mirror federal requirements, and Kentucky has adopted its own residential construction fall protection rules (803 Kentucky Administrative Regulations (KAR) 2:412).

Fall restraint system means a system that:

• Is used to prevent an employee from falling any distance consisting of an anchorage, connectors, and body belt or harness; and
• May include, lanyards, lifelines, or rope grabs designed for that purpose.

Rake edge means the roof edge at the gable end of a structure

Residential construction means construction work on a stand-alone, single-family dwelling, duplex, threeplex, or fourplex structure.

Slope means the roof vertical rise in inches for every horizontal 12-inch (in.) length, with:

• The horizontal 12-in. length referred to as the run;
• The slope referred to as pitch; and
• The slope expressed with the rise (vertical) mentioned first and the run (horizontal) mentioned second, such as “4 in 12” or “4 on 12” and written as “4 in 12” or “4:12” or “4/12.”

Three (3) points of contact means either:

• One (1) hand and both (2) feet; or
• One (1) foot and both (2) hands.

While engaged in residential construction activities, each employee working 6 feet (ft) or more above a lower level must be ...