1926.502 Fall Protection Systems: citations, penalties and recently cited employers
Data as of October 5, 2026 · citations issued Oct 5, 2025 to Oct 5, 2026
This section sets performance criteria for the fall protection systems required in construction, including guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest systems, positioning devices, warning lines, controlled access zones, hole covers, and fall protection plans. For instance, guardrail top rails must be 42 inches high, plus or minus 3 inches, anchorages must support 5,000 pounds per worker, and hole covers must be secured and marked.
What the standard requires
- Build guardrails with top rails at 42 inches and adequate strength
- Use anchorages capable of supporting 5,000 pounds per employee
- Rig personal fall arrest so workers cannot free fall more than 6 feet or hit lower levels
- Secure hole covers and mark them "HOLE" or "COVER"
- Prepare a written, site-specific fall protection plan when used
Hazards it addresses
- Falls when protective systems fail
- Suspension trauma and impact injuries
- Falls through displaced covers
Cited in roofing, framing, and commercial construction where installed systems do not meet specifications.
Plain-language summary written for this site; it is not the regulatory text and not legal advice. Read the official text at eCFR.
Citations by month
Inspections with citations issued, by month of issuance. Hatched months are incomplete: citations reach the public data about a month after issuance.
Most-cited paragraphs
| Paragraph | What it covers | Items | Inspections | Median initial penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926.502(d)(17) | 137 | 137 | $1,250 | |
| 1926.502(d)(15) | Anchorages for personal fall arrest equipment must support at least 5,000 pounds per employee attached or meet design criteria. | 123 | 123 | $2,250 |
| 1926.502(d)(16)(iii) | Personal fall arrest systems must be rigged so an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet nor contact any lower level. | 71 | 71 | $2,942 |
| 1926.502(d) | 51 | 51 | $1,575 | |
| 1926.502(d)(21) | 49 | 49 | $1,500 | |
| 1926.502(i)(3) | Covers must be secured when installed to prevent accidental displacement. | 37 | 37 | $0 |
| 1926.502(b)(2) | 33 | 33 | $1,950 | |
| 1926.502(i)(4) | Covers must be color coded or marked with the word "HOLE" or "COVER". | 32 | 32 | $0 |
| 1926.502(d)(6)(i) | 29 | 29 | $2,942 | |
| 1926.502(b)(1) | Top edge height of guardrail top rails must be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the walking/working level. | 26 | 26 | $2,114 |
| 1926.502(f)(1) | 20 | 20 | $0 | |
| 1926.502(h)(1)(v) | 20 | 20 | $0 | |
| 1926.502(d)(15)(ii) | Anchorages for personal fall arrest equipment must support at least 5,000 pounds per employee attached or meet design criteria. | 18 | 18 | $3,539 |
| 1926.502(a)(2) | 17 | 17 | $2,270 | |
| 1926.502(f)(1)(i) | 17 | 17 | $2,838 |
Penalties
Across 848 alleged items, OSHA and state-plan offices proposed $2,767,871 in initial penalties. The current total in the public data is $2,203,677, 20% lower after settlements, contests and amendments.
By violation type: Serious 84%; Other-than-serious 11%; Repeat 4%; Willful 1%.
Citations by state
| State | Inspections cited | Items | Initial penalties | Current penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 80 | 140 | $148,487 | $118,465 |
| Illinois | 55 | 79 | $302,888 | $214,903 |
| Virginia | 44 | 61 | $105,812 | $102,780 |
| Oregon | 41 | 62 | $241,846 | $207,822 |
| Michigan | 38 | 53 | $28,300 | $22,530 |
| New Jersey | 27 | 35 | $247,070 | $231,596 |
| Massachusetts | 22 | 30 | $108,381 | $58,575 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 27 | $60,712 | $46,337 |
| Wisconsin | 20 | 22 | $127,247 | $89,274 |
| Georgia | 19 | 23 | $36,884 | $31,720 |
| Ohio | 18 | 20 | $131,981 | $90,779 |
| New York | 17 | 26 | $121,358 | $113,572 |
| Florida | 15 | 17 | $81,838 | $55,730 |
| North Carolina | 15 | 17 | $53,885 | $47,190 |
| Kentucky | 14 | 18 | $52,650 | $44,850 |
| New Hampshire | 12 | 24 | $44,830 | $30,558 |
| Tennessee | 12 | 14 | $13,250 | $12,950 |
| Texas | 11 | 13 | $75,468 | $48,429 |
| Connecticut | 10 | 18 | $172,128 | $141,728 |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 12 | $46,436 | $41,670 |
By industry
- Construction: 584 inspections
- Wholesale trade: 4 inspections
- Manufacturing: 3 inspections
- Administrative & waste services: 2 inspections
- Utilities: 2 inspections
- Transportation & warehousing: 2 inspections
- Accommodation & food services: 1 inspections
- Educational services: 1 inspections
Recently cited establishments
About these records. Citations list alleged violations and proposed penalties. Employers can contest them, and many are reduced or withdrawn in settlement. Each row shows the original and the current penalty and a status label derived from the public data as of October 5, 2026. Check the linked osha.gov page for the official record.
| Establishment | Location | Issued | Alleged items | Initial penalty | Current penalty | Status and deadlines | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMC Acquisition Company LLC | Naperville, IL | Aug 28, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | OpenContest deadline ~Sep 21, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Cobra's Roofing, LLC | Meridian, ID | Aug 28, 2026 | 1 | $2,270 | $681 | OpenAbatement due Sep 24, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 21, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| H & M Signs, Inc. | Parkville, MD | Aug 28, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | OpenAbatement due Sep 8, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 21, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Harris Roofing, LLC | Anchorage, AK | Aug 28, 2026 | 1 | $3,376 | $3,376 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| D.a.b. Contractors LLC | Aurora, IL | Aug 27, 2026 | 1 | $4,965 | $1,490 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Profus Construction Corp. | Chicago, IL | Aug 26, 2026 | 2 | $5,958 | $5,958 | ContestedAbatement due Sep 22, 2026Contested Sep 3, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Name withheld (individual) | Jamestown, NC | Aug 26, 2026 | 2 | $1,250 | $1,250 | Final orderAbatement due Aug 31, 2026 | osha.gov |
| F&W Construction Company, Inc. | Anchorage, AK | Aug 26, 2026 | 1 | $2,733 | $2,733 | Final order | osha.gov |
| Oak Shield Construction Service LLC | Houston, TX | Aug 26, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | Informal settlementAbatement due Sep 8, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Gorman Roofing Services, LLC | Las Vegas, NV | Aug 25, 2026 | 1 | $5,675 | $5,675 | OpenAbatement due Sep 2, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 16, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| R & C Remodeling LLC | Baltimore, MD | Aug 25, 2026 | 2 | $0 | $0 | OpenAbatement due Sep 2, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 16, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Blue River Construction, Inc. | Dundalk, MD | Aug 25, 2026 | 2 | $0 | $0 | ContestedAbatement due Sep 2, 2026Contested Sep 3, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Marvelous Construction Services, Inc. | Punta Gorda, FL | Aug 21, 2026 | 1 | $3,376 | $2,026 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Kempsville Roofing Inc. | Chesapeake, VA | Aug 20, 2026 | 1 | $16,287 | $16,287 | Final orderAbatement due Sep 9, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Wil-OG Construction, LLC | East Hanover, NJ | Aug 20, 2026 | 2 | $9,930 | $9,930 | OpenContest deadline ~Sep 11, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Name withheld (individual) | Texas City, TX | Aug 20, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | OpenContest deadline ~Sep 11, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Name withheld (individual) | Ocean City, MD | Aug 19, 2026 | 2 | $0 | $0 | OpenAbatement due Aug 27, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 10, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Lindholm Roofing, Inc. | Worth, IL | Aug 19, 2026 | 1 | $15,888 | $3,000 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| JDD Construction LLC | Baltimore, MD | Aug 18, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | OpenAbatement due Aug 26, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 9, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| A&A Roofing Exterior's Inc. | Arlington Heights, IL | Aug 18, 2026 | 2 | $5,958 | $5,958 | OpenContest deadline ~Sep 9, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Tycor Roofing Inc. | Uniontown, OH | Aug 17, 2026 | 1 | $11,585 | $11,585 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Qse Construction LLC | Gahanna, OH | Aug 14, 2026 | 1 | $2,838 | $2,838 | OpenAbatement due Sep 3, 2026Contest deadline ~Sep 4, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Constructive Inc. | Bend, OR | Aug 14, 2026 | 3 | $13,968 | $13,968 | Final order | osha.gov |
| James Joseph Construction, Inc. | Tarrytown, NY | Aug 13, 2026 | 2 | $3,972 | $2,600 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Cohen Skovborg LLC | Bend, OR | Aug 13, 2026 | 2 | $4,859 | $4,859 | Final order | osha.gov |
| Rako Roofing Inc. | Arlington Heights, IL | Aug 13, 2026 | 1 | $11,916 | $7,000 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Cantu Quality Contracting LLC | Bismarck, ND | Aug 13, 2026 | 3 | $8,514 | $8,514 | OpenContest deadline ~Sep 3, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Daniela's Construction Inc. | Fall River, MA | Aug 12, 2026 | 1 | $5,958 | $1,800 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| TL General Construction LLC | Fargo, ND | Aug 12, 2026 | 1 | $3,547 | $2,128 | Informal settlementAbatement due Sep 16, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Twenty Four Seven Construction Inc. | Cranston, RI | Aug 11, 2026 | 1 | $3,405 | $2,384 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| Anchorstone Builders LLC | Ponce, PR | Aug 7, 2026 | 1 | $10,427 | $6,256 | Informal settlementAbatement due Sep 2, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Bloom Roofing Systems, Inc. | Southgate, MI | Aug 7, 2026 | 1 | $0 | $0 | Final order | osha.gov |
| Flex Star Roof Coatings and Supply Inc. | Hudson, OH | Aug 7, 2026 | 2 | $9,931 | $4,500 | Informal settlement | osha.gov |
| The Roof Co. Waco LLC | Ferris, TX | Aug 6, 2026 | 1 | $3,972 | $2,383 | Informal settlementAbatement due Sep 3, 2026 | osha.gov |
| M & E Renovation Experts Inc. | Easton, MD | Aug 5, 2026 | 2 | $0 | $0 | OpenAbatement due Aug 13, 2026Contest deadline ~Aug 26, 2026 (est.) | osha.gov |
| Fine Line Trim, LLC | Matthews, NC | Aug 4, 2026 | 1 | $13,240 | $8,600 | Informal settlementAbatement due Aug 10, 2026 | osha.gov |
| LDG Construction Inc. | Matthews, NC | Aug 4, 2026 | 2 | $8,275 | $6,620 | Informal settlementAbatement due Aug 10, 2026 | osha.gov |
| J & y Quality Homes Restoration LLC | Morton Grove, IL | Aug 4, 2026 | 3 | $3,972 | $2,000 | Informal settlementAbatement due Aug 28, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Schmidt Steel, Inc. | Highland Park, IL | Aug 3, 2026 | 1 | $9,931 | $4,966 | Informal settlementAbatement due Aug 27, 2026 | osha.gov |
| Highrise Safety Systems, Inc. | Hoboken, NJ | Aug 3, 2026 | 2 | $29,790 | $29,790 | Final orderAbatement due Aug 21, 2026 | osha.gov |
Often cited together
- 1926.501 Fall Protection (309 shared inspections)
- 1926.503 Fall Protection Training (203 shared inspections)
- 1926.1053 Ladder Safety (151 shared inspections)
- 1926.102 Eye and Face Protection (99 shared inspections)
- 1926.20 Construction Safety Programs (73 shared inspections)
- 1926.100 Hard Hats (69 shared inspections)
- 1903.19 Abatement Verification (35 shared inspections)
- 1926.451 Scaffold Safety (35 shared inspections)
Questions
What does OSHA standard 1926.502 require?
This section sets performance criteria for the fall protection systems required in construction, including guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest systems, positioning devices, warning lines, controlled access zones, hole covers, and fall protection plans. For instance, guardrail top rails must be 42 inches high, plus or minus 3 inches, anchorages must support 5,000 pounds per worker, and hole covers must be secured and marked.
How often was 1926.502 cited in the last 12 months?
In the public data as of October 5, 2026, 1926.502 (Fall Protection Systems) appeared in 601 inspections with citations issued between Oct 5, 2025 and Oct 5, 2026, covering 848 alleged violation items.
Which part of 1926.502 is cited most?
1926.502(d)(17) was the most-cited paragraph, with 137 items.
Which states cite 1926.502 most often?
The most citations under 1926.502 in this period were issued in Maryland, Illinois, Virginia.
What is the typical penalty for a 1926.502 violation?
The median initial (proposed) penalty per item was $1,750; the median current penalty after settlements and amendments was $1,345. Totals: $2,767,871 proposed, $2,203,677 current. Penalties vary by violation type, employer size and history, and State Plans set their own amounts.
Are 1926.502 citations final?
Not necessarily. A citation is an allegation until it becomes a final order. 10% of these items were contested, and many others were changed in settlements. Each listing shows its current status and a link to the official record.