OSHA/Building Codes - Tie off to handrails allowed?

[SKJ25POL]

Hi
Anyone is aware of any requirement or regulation by building code or OSHA that we are not allowed to tie off a handrail or guard rail?
My case is we have a 3.5ft wide platform (grating floor) at 180 foot from ground. For some reasons we want to erect a scaffold as means of supporting a monorail perpendicular to the circular platform. Scaffold is not being used for anybody goes on it.

Is it okay to tie off the scaffold (attach the scaffold/support scaffold to the handrail)to the handrail on the platform?
Does OSHA prohibit attaching anything to handrail or any other codes say anything?

Thank you for your direction!
Sincerely,
Skj

 

[BUGGAR]

OSHA is online. I just came from there. Your answer is there, but I'm not sure what you mean "Scaffold in not being used for anybody goes on it." Might affect the answer?

 

[racookpe1978]

Your configuration is not clear - particularly with the arrangement of scaffold, circular platform (?), monorail, perpendicular (what to what is perpendicular?) and then finally scaffold-support-scaffold-handrail-to handrail (??)

ANY fall 180 foot from ground will kill people.

 

[Lomarandil]

A handrail is not automatically (I will even say usually) sufficient as a tie-off point.

However, I haven't seen anything that precludes it being used as a tie off, if it calcs out.

Depending on the adequacy of the handrail (e.g. if it's close), I might argue that when it is serving as a tieoff, the handrail shouldn't be relied on as a handrail, and anyone nearby should be tied off. Sounds like that's not an issue for you.

Don't forget the effects of multiple persons tied off, if that's appropriate.

----
The name is a long story -- just call me Lo.

 

[JLNJ]

When you say "tie off" do you mean an anchor point for a fall protection lifeline? If so, then you need to have a competent person look at the strength and geometry of the handrail (guardrail or guard, actually). I'm guessing no, a guard would not be suitable.

If you want to know if you can tie a temporary structure to an existing guard, then have an engineer do some analysis to find out if you can or can't.

It seems unlikely that OSHA would give you carte blanche to create something so complicated with so many variables without some real engineering.

 

[Ron]

No!
Yes!

 

[JStephen]

I'm not sure if there's an actual prohibition against it. The main thing is, handrails are designed for something like 200 lbs load, and a fall-protection tie-off is supposed to be rated for 5,000 lbs, so just in general, it won't work. Now, you MIGHT have handrails in place that are just accidentally stout enough to support 5,000 lbs, but that is not too likely.
In some cases, the tie-off point is supposed to be independent from what you're using for support, but you'd have to check the wording on that to confirm actual restrictions.
Look into the qualifications for the person that devises and inspects the fall protection.
And all those OSHA regulations are online- if you have never read them and weren't planning on it, you're probably not that person.

 

[Ron247]

Are you tying-off the scaffold to the handrail, or a person to the handrail? If the handrail is designed for some loading, I don't see how you could co-op the loading for a separate purpose unless you can prove they could never occur simultaneously. You would have to have excess capacity to be able to use it, regardless of codes you cite.

Will you have people on the scaffold? I do not know if OSHA 3150 addresses your issues or not. It is an older code. It is a general publication and that that specific in areas.

 

[chicopee]

If it is a suspended platform my answer is no. Too many jury-rigged systems have been used at the expense of the lives of the workers. There is a good chance that you would be cited by OSHA.

 

[dreber]

Having designed hundreds of guardrails and a few anchor points, my understanding matches JStephen's.

A guard-rail is designed for 200lb [ASD level], 320 lb at LRFD.

Anchor tie-off points to which fall restraint devices are attached must be designed for a 5000 ultimate live load (OSHA's language) which I interpret to be 5000 lb LRFD or 2500 LB ASD. These fall restraint systems are designed to deliver a maximum of 900 LB to the anchor point, but if that anchor point is a lifeline, the demand on the post will be a function of life-line deflection, so think about that for a minute. I like to over-design the connections to the structure below so that a fall would either be resisted elastically, or preferably, plastic yielding of the post, and if it a wood roof, in the worst case, it will tear off a good portion of the roof.

Anchor tie-off points for fall prevention devices don't need to be designed for 5000lb ultimate, but I have yet to design a device for fall-prevention. Every time one of these systems comes up, I ask my client what they need it rated for, they never can tell me, so I always give them the 5000lb device.

You should probably purchase Ellis - introduction to fall protection devices.

https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Fall-Protection-Nigel-Ellis/dp/1885581580

I just remembered I have work to do...

 

[RaptorEIT]

Many a times I have seen scaffolds "tied-off" to handrails in an industrial plant. I've even seen seismic scaffolds using handrails as lateral tie-off points. The only word of caution is that handrails are generally only designed for a 200# load, and may not be able to withstand the reaction loads. Your description happens all the time at nuke plants.

 

[dhengr]

SKJ25POL:
Why not tie off more directly to the platform, which probably has much more structural and diaphragm strength and a number of connection points to the stack you are working on? The handrailing is a weaker system which is ultimately supported by the platform itself.