Who is protected by OSHA’s powered
platforms standard?
Thousands of window washers and building
maintenance workers in the United States, who
mostly work on powered platforms outside highrise
buildings, are protected from injury by
OSHA’s standard on powered platforms for
building maintenance found in Title 29 of the
Code of Federal Regulations ( CFR) Part
1910.66.
What types of platforms does the
standard cover?
The standard covers powered platform
installations permanently dedicated to interior
or exterior building maintenance of a specific
structure or a group of structures. Building
maintenance includes, but is not limited to,
such tasks as window cleaning, caulking, metal
polishing, and reglazing. The standard does not
apply to suspended scaffolds (swinging
scaffolds) used to service buildings temporarily
(see 29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart D) nor to
suspended scaffolds used for construction work
(see 29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart L).
What are the engineering
requirements of the standard?
Structural supports, tie-in guides, anchoring
devices, and any affected parts of the building
included in the installation must be designed by,
or under the direction of, a registered
professional engineer experienced in such
design.
What are the requirements for
personal fall protection?
Employees on working platforms must be
protected by a fall arrest system meeting
requirements of Appendix C of the standard.
What requirements must employers
follow for stabilization systems?
All building stabilization systems must be one
of the following:
¦ A continuous stabilization system using tie-in
guides such as indented mullions, T-rails, or
other equivalent guides;
¦ An intermittent stabilization system in which the
maximum vertical interval between building
anchors is three floors or 50 feet (15.3 meters)
whichever is less;
¦ A button guide stabilization system;
¦ A system using angled roping and building face
rollers if the suspended platform is not more
than 130 feet (or 39.6 meters) above a safe
working surface; and
¦ An alternative stabilization system if a
registered professional engineer designs the
building and equipment installation.
(The professional engineer must demonstrate
that the proposed method of suspending and
securing the powered platform will provide a
degree of safety equal to or greater than one
of the above methods.)
Are employers required to have
emergency plans?
Yes. Employers must develop and implement
a written emergency plan that describes
procedures for their employees to follow during
power failures, equipment failures, or other
emergencies. Employers must also review with
their employees those parts of the plan
necessary to protect workers in emergencies.
What training must employers
provide?
Employers must have a competent person
train their employees who operate powered
platforms to do the following:
¦ Recognize and prevent safety hazards.
¦ Use personal fall arrest systems.
¦ Follow safe work procedures for operating,
using, maintaining, and inspecting platforms.
Note: A competent person is someone who
can identify health and safety hazards in the
workplace and has the authority to correct them.
How can you get more information
on safety and health?
OSHA has various publications, standards,
technical assistance, and compliance tools to
help you, and offers extensive assistance through
workplace consultation, voluntary protection
2002
programs, grants, strategic partnerships, state
plans, training, and education. OSHA’s Safety
and Health Program Management Guidelines
( Federal Register 54:3904-3916, January 26,
1989) details elements critical to the
development of a successful safety and health
management system. This and other information
are available on OSHA’s website.
¦ For one free copy of OSHA publications, send
a self-addressed mailing label to OSHA
Publications Office, 200 Constitution Avenue
N.W., N–3101, Washington, DC 20210; or
send a request to our fax at (202) 693-2498,
or call us at (202) 693-1888.
¦ To order OSHA publications online at
www.osha.gov, go to Publications and
follow the instructions for ordering.
¦ To file a complaint by phone, report an
emergency, or get OSHA advice, assistance,
or products, contact your nearest OSHA office
under the “U.S. Department of Labor” listing
in your phone book, or call toll-free at
(800) 321-OSHA (6742). The teletypewriter
(TTY) number is (877) 889-5627.
¦ To file a complaint online or obtain more
information on OSHA federal and state
programs, visit OSHA’s website.
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting
OSHA programs, policies, or standards. It does not impose
any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of
compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations,
refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information
will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals
upon request. The voice phone is (202) 693-1999. See also OSHA’s
website at www.osha.gov.
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