Walking and Working Surfaces including Fall Protection

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Apply the 4-foot general industry fall protection trigger: understanding when Subpart D requires fall protection, selecting appropriate systems (guardrails, safety nets, PFAS, positioning, travel restraint), and how the general industry trigger differs from construction (6 feet) and other specific standards.
• Protect floor and wall openings: covers for floor holes (secured, marked, load-rated), guardrails for open-sided floors and platforms (42-inch top rail, mid-rail, toe board), and the opening protection that prevents falls through holes and off unprotected edges.
• Apply stairway safety requirements: stairway design (riser height, tread depth, uniformity), handrail requirements, stair condition maintenance, and the housekeeping that prevents stairway slips and falls.
• Apply portable ladder safety: selection for the task (Type I/IA/IAA duty ratings), setup at correct angle (4:1 ratio), securing, three-point contact, inspection before use, and the common ladder misuses that cause falls.
• Apply fixed ladder safety: the transition from cages/wells to ladder safety systems for new fixed ladders over 24 feet, personal fall arrest on fixed ladders, and the inspection requirements.
• Manage dockboard safety: proper placement, securing, load capacity, forklift transition, and the dockboard hazards that cause falls and vehicle incidents at loading docks.
• Implement housekeeping for slip/trip/fall prevention: clean and dry walking surfaces, drainage, spill cleanup, cord management, adequate lighting, and the housekeeping programme that prevents the most common workplace injury.
• Select and implement fall protection systems: guardrail systems, safety net systems, PFAS (harness, lanyard, anchorage), positioning systems, travel restraint systems, and the system selection criteria based on the work situation.

Core Curriculum Topics

• Subpart D Overview: scope, 2017 update, 4-foot trigger, general industry versus construction
• Floor and Wall Openings: covers, guardrails, gates, marking, load rating
• Stairways: design requirements, handrails, condition, housekeeping
• Portable Ladders: selection (duty ratings), setup angle, securing, three-point contact, inspection
• Fixed Ladders: cages/wells vs ladder safety systems, PFAS, 24-foot threshold, inspection
• Dockboards: placement, securing, capacity, forklift transitions
• Housekeeping: clean/dry surfaces, spill cleanup, cord management, lighting
• Fall Protection Systems: guardrails, nets, PFAS, positioning, travel restraint
• Rope Descent Systems: requirements for window cleaning and similar operations
• Training Requirements: Subpart D training and certification provisions

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English; working proficiency required

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Safety officers managing slip/trip/fall prevention programmes in general industry
• Facility managers responsible for floor, stairway, and ladder safety
• Maintenance workers who use ladders and work on elevated surfaces
• Warehouse workers exposed to dockboard, ladder, and elevated platform hazards
• Housekeeping managers responsible for walking surface condition
• Anyone working at 4 feet or more above a lower level in general industry

• Walking and Working Surfaces — YOU ARE HERE (general industry Subpart D)
• OSHA Focus Four — Fall Hazards (construction Subpart M, 6-foot trigger)
• Safe Scaffold Erection and Inspection (scaffold-specific fall protection)
• CHSO / CSSP (certifications where fall prevention is one compliance area)
•  International Diploma in Industrial Safety Management (fall protection at diploma depth)