Designing Suspended Scaffold Structural Support Elements and Lifeline Anchorages in Conformance with Federal OSHA Requirements

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains standards related to the design of suspended scaffolds and fall protection systems. These standards include structural requirements for elements that support suspended scaffolds and fall arrest lanyards. Ensuring that applicable requirements are met is the responsibility of a qualified person—typically a professional engineer. However, navigating and applying the OSHA structural provisions can be difficult, primarily because relevant requirements are not located in a single document, structural requirements vary for different uses, and structural requirements are not always written in a manner consistent with typical structural engineering practice. This paper provides information that will promote rational application of key OSHA structural provisions for the design of suspended scaffold support elements and lifeline anchorages. This paper also provides the foundation for the companion paper, “Certifying That Existing Suspended Scaffold Structural Support Elements and Lifeline Anchorages Comply with Federal OSHA Requirements,” which is included in this publication.