• Fall protection systems include personal fall arrest systems, travel restraint systems, and positioning systems.
• Employees must inspect personal fall protection before each initial use during a work shift, and repair or replace damaged components.

Guardrails are not always feasible, so the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides options for general industry employers including personal fall protection systems.

Personal fall protection systems include:

• Personal fall arrest systems,
• Travel restraint systems, and
• Positioning systems.

Employers must:

• Evaluate the work environment and operations for fall hazards and falling object hazards.
• Provide fall protection in some acceptable form (e.g., guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall protection systems, or designated areas).
• Train employees on proper use of personal fall protection systems.
• Inspect personal fall protection systems.
• Select personal fall protection systems that are suitable for the job.
• Maintain personal fall protection systems in safe working condition.
• When required to be used, provide personal fall protection systems at no cost to the employee.

Employers must ensure that personal fall protection is inspected before each initial use during each work shift. Employees should look for mildew, wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components. If any of the these are found, the components must be taken out of service.

Ropes, belts, lanyards, lifelines, and harnesses used for personal fall protection must:

• Be compatible with all connectors used, and
• Be protected from being cut, abraded, melted, or otherwise damaged.