Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(29 CFR 1910.269) and therefore may be required to implement the safe work prac-
tices and worker training requirements of the standard. Although solar energy is a
growing industry, the hazards are not unique, and OSHA has many standards that
cover them. The hazards and controls that workers in the solar energy industry may
encounter are provided below.
h
azards
and
c
ontrols
•
Falls
•
Lockout/tagout
•
Crane and hoist safety
•
Electrical
•
Thermal stress
•
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Falls
*
Workers who install and/or maintain solar panels often work on roofs, use ladders
and scaffolding, are in proximity of ledges and sunroofs, and are exposed to fall haz-
ards. As more solar panels are installed on the surface of a roof, the walking area that
once was available may no longer be available to workers. This may force workers
to squeeze by or walk very close to skylights and/or roof hatches. Employers must
make sure that skylights are guarded or that workers near skylights use personal fall
protection. OSHA has different fall protection requirements for construction (instal-
lation of solar panels) and general industry (maintenance). Construction workers
involved in the installation of solar panels exposed to fall distances of 6 feet or more
must be protected from falls by using one of the following methods.
Guardrail Systems
Many times the nature and location of the work will dictate the form that fall protec-
tion takes. An employer who chooses to use a guardrail system must comply with
the following provisions:
•
The top edge height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members,
must be between 39 and 45 inches above the walking/working level, except
when conditions warrant otherwise and all other criteria are met (e.g.,
when employees are using stilts, the top edge height of the top rail must be
increased by an amount equal the height of the stilts).
•
Midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, or equivalent
intermediate structures must be installed between the top edge and the
walking/working surface when there is no wall or other structure at least
21 inches high.
*
Adapted from OSHA's
Green Job Hazards: Solar Energy—Falls
,
http://www.osha.gov/dep/greenjobs/
