Achieving OSHA compliance might seem like a daunting task, but it’s completely achievable for organizations that break down their 2025 safety goals into multiple smaller projects. This approach ensures each area is sufficiently addressed without too much anxiety—and without letting vital details slip through the cracks.
If you need an example, consider this: under the umbrella of OSHA or CCOHS compliance, you need fall protection. Under the umbrella of fall protection, you need rooftop edge protection. And even under that narrow focus, you need to consider both active fall protection solutions and passive fall protection systems (including how they work together).
Take a closer look at how both sets of protections work together for both construction and industrial environments where your workers regularly encounter height-related hazards, then get to work on this small but impactful project that can bring you closer to full OSHA compliance.
Before you can make sure workers have sufficient access to OSHA-compliant active and passive fall protection tools, your team needs to know the difference between them. Active fall protection systems include equipment like harnesses, lanyards and lifelines, and the anchor points that they attach to. Passive systems include hardware like roof guardrails, machine enclosures, warning line systems for leading edges, and safety gates that close gaps in the perimeter.
As a rule, "active" protections are the hardware your workers intentionally and actively interact with, while passive systems work 24/7 without active, intentional use. For example, a harness requires active use. Workers must properly put it on, attach their lanyard and lifeline between the harness and the anchor point, and attach the fastener to the closest anchor point. However, passive fall protection systems like barriers or warning lines simply stay in place and offer safety whether workers actively engage with them or not.
OSHA also makes the differences between active and passive measures clear in how it designates the requirements for each type of protection under different circumstances. Some work requires the use of active fall protection outright, while other activities only recommend it. Others work well with only passive measures in place.
Understanding the differences in how the systems are used—as well as the different circumstances that warrant each solution—will help you build your rooftop edge protection more effectively.
While both active and passive fall protection systems occupy the category of 'OSHA-compliant fall protection,' that doesn't make them interchangeable. Your facility needs a plan that includes both active and passive measures.
Here’s why:
They protect against different hazards: Passive roof guardrails and barriers, for instance, make it much less likely that a worker will fall while also indicating the border between unsafe and unsafe ground. Active measures like harnesses, on the other hand, allow workers to complete tasks along rooftop edges or even while suspended over the edge.
OSHA demands both: OSHA guidelines outline when construction teams need each type (OSHA 1926) and when general industrial teams and buildings need them (OSHA 1910). The standards also outline the physical requirements for the different types of resources, how they should be used, and where they need to be.
A resolved fall incident is still a fall incident: Active fall protection systems will catch workers if they fall to minimize the risk of serious injury. However, this event is still a fall. Implementing layers of passive protection around active protection keeps those incidents to a minimum by reducing the likelihood that they will ever happen. This can improve your facility's safety records and result in fewer delays.
Passive minimizes, active solves: Passive systems are not foolproof. Workers might catch their weight on a railing or note the warning lines around an edge. But once a fall happens, active solutions like harnesses are more effective, catching workers when they drop, resulting in a significantly shorter fall distance.
When the differences between the two systems are clear, and your team knows why you need both sets of solutions, you can more easily build your rooftop edge protection plan to include multiple, effective layers of active and passive protection. Start with these critical steps:
1. Make Sure Your Harnesses Fit
Harnesses that don't fit aren't safe. Assess your current harnesses to make sure they fit all workers of any size and gender. Many workers report wearing harnesses that either don't fit comfortably or fit too loosely. If harnesses are too tight on the chest or hips, (which can be the case for both women and workers with large frames), they can cause injuries, be a distraction, or be so uncomfortable workers don't wear them at all. If they're too loose, they won't adequately secure workers in the event of a fall (especially if the fall is at an angle).
2. Assess Anchor Points (Both Fixed Anchor Points and Portable Anchor Point Options)
A fixed or portable anchor point is the hardware that lifelines and harnesses connect to. Depending on the work environment, you might have a mobile fall restraint anchor point that provides a firm but portable anchor point without penetrating the building, or you might have installed anchor points that attach directly to the building. You might have anchor points every six feet along a building edge so workers can move from point to point with a fixed lifeline, or you might have less frequent anchor points to attach lifelines with anti-shock lanyard attachments. The right solutions will depend on the applications, vertical distance available, and type of work the anchor points and harnesses facilitate. A portable anchor point is often ideal for construction zones and complex maintenance projects.
3. Create a Complete Barrier Around Leading Edges
Active measures are one thing, but they aren't enough. Instead, create a solid perimeter around and within your rooftop. Make sure every leading edge has a sturdy, OSHA-compliant guardrail, but also install roof guardrails around ladders, hatches, and the top of rooftop stairwells so every sudden elevation change has fall protection in place. These efforts supplement your use of active fall protection. Specific solutions are:
Safety rails that physically block the edge, which (i) provide a visual cue and (ii) can act as a catch point if workers trip or want a secure rail to grip
Grab bars that improve roof hatch safety. They supplement railings and give workers a third point of contact with the building when they emerge from ladder or stair hatches
Warning line systems that visually mark unsafe edges or openings, which also improve passively roof hatch safety
4. Create a Feedback Channel
Along with implementing physical equipment changes, create a clear communication channel. If you facilitate honest feedback, you can learn more about invisible problems that audits might not catch. For example, you may not know that your harnesses are uncomfortable to wear, even if visual inspection catches worn straps. You also may not know that one part of the roof makes workers nervous even if it complies with OSHA regulations on paper. By seeking feedback about what works, what doesn't, and what could be better, you build a stronger protection plan. You also get more worker engagement and buy-in, leading to even more day-to-day compliance.
Every facility needs both active and passive fall protection measures to meet OSHA requirements and specific local roof hatch safety regulations that apply to your county, state, or industry. At Bluewater by Tractel, we help companies find the right combination of fall protection solutions, so your workers have multiple layers of safety every time they access the roof. Contact us today to learn more or to browse our active and passive fall protection products.
