OSHA fall protection (Subpart M) for the CHST

Where Subpart M sits in the blueprint

Domain 1, hazard and risk identification and control, is 36.6% of the exam. Knowledge items 4 and 5 are the falls items. The skill to apply a hierarchy of controls and knowledge item 28 on personal protective equipment also apply, because fall protection is a clean example of the hierarchy: eliminate the exposure, then use passive protection, then active protection, then procedures.

The sections to know

• 1926.500 sets scope and definitions. Read the definitions of unprotected side, leading edge and hole, because the exam builds questions on the difference.
• 1926.501 says when protection is required. The general trigger for unprotected sides and edges is a fall of 6 feet or more. It then covers holes, leading edges, roofing, excavation edges, walking surfaces and more, each with its own paragraph. Residential construction and low-slope roofs have their own entries. The trigger is not the same for every work type.
• 1926.502 sets the criteria for each system: guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest systems, positioning devices, warning lines, controlled access zones, covers, toeboards and the safety monitoring system. A guardrail top rail height around 42 inches and the toeboard rule, 1926.502(j), are common anchors. Personal fall arrest limits free fall and arrest forces: see 1926.502(d).
• 1926.503 requires training by a competent person qualified in each subject, with written certification, retraining when the work or equipment changes.

What the competent person does

A competent person can identify hazards and has authority to stop work. Under Subpart M that means picking the right system for the task, checking anchors and equipment before use, and making sure a rescue plan exists for anyone left hanging in an arrest system. 1926.502(d)(20) requires prompt rescue. A harness is not a plan: the hang time is the hazard.

Common mix-ups

• 6 feet is not the number everywhere. Scaffolds trigger at 10 feet under Subpart L, and ladders have their own rules in Subpart X. Learn the trigger for the work type the question describes.
• Arrest is not restraint. Restraint stops you reaching the edge. Arrest catches you after you fall. They have different anchor and rope needs.
• A control that fails the hierarchy. If an option relies on a worker's memory or a sign, a guardrail or cover usually beats it.
• Toeboards stop things from falling off the edge, and do nothing to stop people. Falling object protection is a separate duty.

How to practice

For each work type (roof edge, floor hole, leading edge, ladder, scaffold) write the trigger height, the allowed systems and the rescue need. Then work questions that name a situation and ask for the first action or the best control. Consensus standards such as ANSI/ASSP Z359 may inform equipment questions: use your own copy of any standard, and we reproduce none.

To see how free fall, deceleration and D-ring shift stack up against the distance to the next level, use the fall clearance calculator.

For the ladder setup arithmetic, use the ladder angle calculator.

Scaffold restraint has its own 4:1 rule: try it in the scaffold tie calculator.

Related guides: ladders (Subpart X), scaffolds (Subpart L) and excavations (Subpart P).

Practice it

Take the free 10-question check. It covers the four CHST domains, needs no signup and explains every answer, so you see whether this subpart is a weak spot. The CHST study guide shows where it fits in a six-week plan.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by BCSP.

Related exam prep

• ICC building inspector exam prep on Rafter Tie: framing and roofing topics from the inspector's side.

Sources

Show the list

• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M, Fall Protection, OSHA.
• CHST Examination Blueprint (CHST5, V.2022.04.12), Board of Certified Safety Professionals.