Archive through March 17, 2008

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Author Message Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 495 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 02:02 pm:    Does anyone want to chime in on whether OSHA 1910 requires roof fall protection on Plastic Skylights - i.e. one story warehouse in South Florida (FBC) is fall protection required around the acrylic skylight units that penetrate the roof? Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 797 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 02:25 pm:    Try here, Jerome! http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-156/ Long piece so scroll all of it. Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 32 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 02:36 pm:    I'm not sure what OSHA requires, seems there was a thread or comment within a recient thread about OSHA requirements falling under the umbrella subject of site safety. Something we and our insurers don't want to be associated with. IBC 2003 and 2006 don't include OSHA regulations by reference. Check out Sections 2405, 2609, and 2610 of IBC 2003 and 2006 and any local revisions for the skylights. Nothing shows up in the IFC 2006 but since the safety cages available are primarily intended as a safeguard for firefighters the local amendments to the fire code would be another good place to check. George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 410 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 02:36 pm:    I just got an email on that topic today from a manufacturer. Is that what prompted your question? I'll forward it to you if you want it. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 496 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 02:52 pm:    George By coincidence we are preparing specs for a one story warehouse project with acrylic domed skylights and we have not specified such skylights in many years so when we received that same email you are referring to we thought we would ask the question as well since the Architect of Record on the project was unable to answer the question. Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 798 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:00 pm:    Would appreciate a copy, George. I think Mr. Rosen is correct-- OSHA is an employer responsbility and is not a building code or new construction necessity. Risky to include an even meager reference to OSHA in our docs. Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 33 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:07 pm:    OK George and Jerome share the URL of the manufacturer so that we can all see what the two of you are talking about. Jerry Tims Senior Member Username: jtims Post Number: 13 Registered: 04-2005 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:11 pm:    Several years ago, we got a very similar email from a manufacturer "informing" us that there were similar OSHA requirements for roof hatches. So here we went requiring their installation, only to find out a bit later that the OSHA requirement did NOT require railings if the hatch remained closed while people were on the roof. We decided it would be easier and less expensive if we just required that a sign be secured to the underside of the hatch telling everyone to keep the hatch closed when working on the roof! Soooo....a word of caution. Don't believe that a manufacturer's email is always giving you the entire truth. I'm not saying the skylight related one is incorrect.... just that it's wise to do additional research (like is taking place in this forum!) before making decisions. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 497 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:12 pm:    I hate fridays.... http://safetyrailsource.com/Skylight_Rails_and_Screens/skylight_rails_and_screens_model_selection_sheet.htm Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 34 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:14 pm:    Just found this OSHA interpretation: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=19180 I think it would be prudent to specify the safety screens/cages, but I wouldn't reference OSHA. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 498 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:19 pm:    Ok so am I to understand that other fellow specwriters who frequent this board refrain from listing OSHA in their specifications? Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 35 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:25 pm:    Re: Jerry Tims' comment. The roof hatch guard rail requirement has has been included in the IBC for some time. It is based on the height anbove grade plane and the distance to the edge of the roof. New Jersy has included this requirement since the late 80's then BOCA and IBC started it include the requirement. Jerry Tims Senior Member Username: jtims Post Number: 15 Registered: 04-2005 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:36 pm:    Richard...in my defense, we received the email back in UBC days and discovered it wasn't a requirement in Texas! LOL Now then, kindly point me to the proper chapter in the IBC. Thanks! Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 257 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:36 pm:    We don't reference OSHA directly, but we do include requirements for certain items that are required by OSHA. For example, safety cages for ladders with more than a 20 foot run. Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 36 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 04:40 pm:    IBC 2006, 1013.5 & 1013.6 Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 624 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 09:36 pm:    Something to keep in mind about skylights: 1. Some skylights are manufactured to support the required fall load without the use of rails, guards, or curbs. 2. No need to include fall protection for a skylight when it's installed on a roof having a slope that is steep enough to be a hazard itself. Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 178 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:15 am:    We got so confused with the variety of codes and regulations regarding this issue that we decided to include safety rails on all of our roof hatches on low slope roofs. We don't mention OSHA, we just specify and indicate the railings. It's a small cost and really not worth any future aggravation. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 862 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:58 am:    Regarding specifying to meet OSHA requirements: To say we should not do this, I think, is a bit the wrong way to look at it. Yes, it is the owner's--or their vendors' who access roof tops for maintenance--responsibility to meet OSHA requirements for fall protection. But if we are providing buildings that suit the owner's needs, then there are some things we need to do so they can comply. A good example is maintenance equipment anchors on roof tops for bosun's chairs or staging to meet OSHA fall requirements. If we don't put them in the building when constructed, it would mean the owner would have to do it separately, later, at much increased cost. IT may probably makes sense to take these things into account, although the owner must also be active in advising what those needs are. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 88 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 01:04 pm:    Our specification template for design-build exterior building maintenance (window washing) makes numerous references to California-OSHA requirements and procedures.