Confirm OSHA fall protection compliance and set up anchor points/ladder access for a steep-slope residential re-roofing crew

Steps

1. Confirm the work falls under 'residential construction' as interpreted for 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13), which requires conventional fall protection (guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems) — or another OSHA-permitted alternative measure — for residential work performed six feet or more above a lower level.
2. Check current OSHA guidance directly on osha.gov for the residential-construction fall protection compliance directive, confirming it has not been superseded or rescinded since it was issued, rather than relying on older secondhand summaries.
3. For steep-slope roofs where conventional fall protection is determined by the employer to be infeasible or to create a greater hazard, confirm and document the specific alternative fall-protection plan required, since this determination has documentation obligations, not a blanket exemption.
4. Select and install roof anchor points rated for the fall-arrest forces required by the personal fall arrest system in use, per the anchor manufacturer's instructions (typically through framing members, not just sheathing), positioned so lanyards keep workers from swinging into hips, valleys, or edges (pendulum-fall hazard).
5. Set up ladders per general OSHA ladder requirements (proper angle, secured top and bottom, extending past the roof edge by the required distance) as roof access separate from the fall-arrest anchor system, and coordinate anchor placement with the tear-off sequence so anchors stay usable until the crew's need for protection on that section ends.
6. Confirm supervisor/competent-person fall-protection training records are current and that anchors, harnesses, and ladders are inspected before each use, since OSHA enforcement checks documentation alongside physical protection measures.