OSHA Focus Four - Fall Hazards

What is the OSHA Focus Four - Fall Hazards?

The OSHA Focus Four — Fall Hazards course from the American Institute of Safety Professionals provides in-depth training on the #1 cause of death in the construction industry: falls from elevation. Falls consistently account for more than one-third of all construction fatalities every year, making fall protection the most important single safety topic for any construction worker, supervisor, or safety professional. This course provides comprehensive coverage of OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M (Fall Protection) alongside the related fall protection provisions in Subpart L (Scaffolds) and Subpart X (Ladders), developing the competency to identify fall hazards, select and implement appropriate fall protection systems, inspect fall protection equipment, and plan for rescue after a fall arrest event.

Subpart M is the most frequently cited OSHA construction standard, generating more citations and higher penalties than any other single standard. It requires fall protection at 6 feet above a lower level in construction (compared to 4 feet in general industry), and specifies three categories of fall protection systems: guardrail systems (passive protection), safety net systems (passive protection), and personal fall arrest systems (active protection). The course covers each category in detail, including when each is appropriate, what the standard requires for design and installation, how to inspect and maintain each system, and how competent persons evaluate site conditions to select the right fall protection method for each work situation.

The curriculum covers fall hazard recognition across all construction activities (roofing, leading edges, unprotected sides, holes and openings, scaffolds, ladders, steel erection, formwork), the 6-foot trigger height and its application, guardrail system requirements (top rail height, mid-rail, toe board, structural capacity), safety net system requirements (installation, testing, clearance), personal fall arrest system (PFAS) components (full-body harness, lanyard/SRL, anchorage, connectors) with inspection procedures, fall distance calculations (free fall, deceleration distance, harness stretch, clearance), anchorage requirements and anchor point evaluation, scaffold fall protection per Subpart L, ladder safety per Subpart X, controlled access zones and safety monitoring systems, fall protection plans for leading-edge and pre-cast concrete work, and the rescue planning that must be in place before any PFAS is used.

All training is delivered 100 percent online through Microsoft Teams and the American Institute of Safety Professionals Learning Management System (LMS). Upon successful completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, professional wallet card, and official transcript, all employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Who should take this course?

• Construction workers who work at heights and need to understand the fall protection systems that protect them
• Supervisors and foremen responsible for selecting and enforcing fall protection on their crews
• Competent persons designated for fall protection who must evaluate conditions and select appropriate systems
• Safety officers who manage the fall protection programme and inspect PFAS equipment
• Project managers and superintendents accountable for fall protection compliance
• Scaffolding erectors and users who need to understand scaffold-specific fall protection requirements
• Anyone designated to inspect harnesses, lanyards, SRLs, or anchorage systems

What will you study?

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