DeWALT Fall Protection
The Most Common Questions when it comes to Fall Protection
Do I really need fall protection for this job?
Short answer: yes, more often than people think.
- Construction: required at 6 feet or higher
- General industry: required at 4 feet
- Scaffolding: 10 feet
- Steel erection: varies, but often starts at 15–30 feet
But here’s the part people miss:
It’s not just about height
It’s about exposure to a fall hazard
That means you still need protection if:
- You’re near an unprotected edge
- You’re working on a sloped roof
- You could fall into a hole, skylight, or opening
Reality check:
Most OSHA citations happen because someone thought:
“It’s a quick job—I’ll be fine.”
That’s exactly when accidents happen.
What’s the right setup for my situation?
This depends entirely on what you’re doing and where you’re doing it.
Here’s the practical breakdown:
Roofing (most common case)
- Best option: Fall arrest system
- Full-body harness
- Shock-absorbing lanyard or SRL
- Roof anchor
- For edge work → SRL is usually better (less slack, faster lock)
️ Flat roofs / general construction
- Options:
- Fall restraint (prevents you from reaching the edge)
- Guardrails (if possible)
- Horizontal lifeline systems for mobility
Short-duration or low-movement work
- Sometimes restraint systems work better than arrest
(because they stop the fall before it happens)
️ Key decision:
- Fall restraint = you never reach the edge
- Fall arrest = you can fall, but the system stops you
If there’s any chance of going over → you need fall arrest
We Have Solutions for Confined Spaces
We carry the full line of Dewalt Fall Protection including confined space solutions. Download the Dewalt Fall Protection Catalog.
