Covers for holes and skylights
Falls 5 min 29 CFR 1926.501 · 29 CFR 1926.502
Why it matters
A hole in a floor or a roof can take a person straight through, and a skylight is that same kind of hole. The cover has to hold at least twice the weight that may be on it at one time, stay put, and be marked HOLE or COVER.
The talk
The deck or the roof sheathing has a square opening for a stair, a duct, or a skylight. Someone dropped a loose sheet of plywood over it so people could walk past. The sheet is not fastened. It has no word written on it. A bundle of shingles sits half on that sheet. Later a worker steps on the skylight because the plastic looks like part of the roof. From the ground the hole looks closed. Under a boot it is a drop. A hole a person can step or fall through, hiding under a loose board or a skylight, is the job in front of you.
A hole a person can step or fall through needs a cover or a guardrail. A cover must support at least twice the weight of workers, equipment, and materials that may be on it at one time. Secure the cover so it cannot slide. Mark it HOLE or COVER so the next person knows what is under it. A skylight is a hole. Do not sit on a skylight. Do not step on a skylight. The frame around the glass does not make it a floor. A sheet that kicks sideways is not a cover. A cover that bows under one person is not ready for the people, tools, and material that may land on it together. If you cannot cover it the right way, guardrail the opening.
Find every hole and every skylight on today's deck or roof before you walk it. If you use a cover, build it to hold at least twice the weight of the workers, equipment, and materials that may be on it at one time. Nail it, screw it, or fasten it another way so it cannot slide when a boot or a cart hits it. Write HOLE or COVER where people can see it. If the cover comes off so material can pass, guard the hole or put the cover back before the next person comes through. Stay off skylights. If you see someone about to step on one, stop them. Tell the foreman about any hole that is open, unmarked, or covered with loose scrap.
Key points
- A hole a person can fall through needs a cover or a guardrail.
- A cover must hold at least twice the weight that may be on it at one time.
- Secure the cover so it cannot slide.
- Mark the cover HOLE or COVER.
- A skylight is a hole.
- Do not sit or step on a skylight.
- Guard the hole or put the cover back before people walk through.
Do this
- Cover a hole or put a guardrail around it.
- Build the cover for at least twice the load that may be on it at once.
- Fasten the cover so a boot or a cart cannot slide it.
- Mark the cover HOLE or COVER.
- Stay off every skylight.
Do not do this
- Do not cover a hole with a loose sheet that can slide.
- Do not leave a cover unmarked.
- Do not sit or step on a skylight.
- Do not stack a load on a cover that was not built for it.
- Do not walk off and leave a hole open after the cover comes up.
Talk about it
- Where are the holes and skylights on the deck or roof we are on today?
- Which covers are fastened and marked HOLE or COVER, and which are only loose sheets?
- If a cover comes off to pass material, who guards the hole until it goes back?
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