Preventing Falls from Heights 

through the Design of 

Embedded Safety Features

Description of 

Exposure

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries [Toole and Gambatese 

2008], and falls are a frequent cause of 

fatal injuries in this industry. Of the 

4,693 fatal work injuries that occurred 

in 2011, 553 (12%) were the result of 

falls to a lower level. Fatal falls in construction accounted for 46% of all workrelated fatal falls in 2011 [BLS 2012]. 

OSHA estimates that each fall from 

an elevated position in construction 

(both fatal and nonfatal) costs between 

$50,000 and $106,000 [OSHA 2012]. 

Workers are at risk of falling during initial construction, and after completion 

during operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition of buildings. Facility features associated with falls include 

floor and roof edges, elevated platforms, 

ledges, atria, skylights, machine rooms, 

and ladders and stairways. Falls can occur from temporary structures used in 

construction and maintenance such as 

scaffolds or ladders, or from permanent 

locations such as roofs.

Standards

OSHA Standard 29 CFR* 1926.502 covers requirements for fall protection 

systems. One of the following is always 

needed to protect workers from falls:

▶ Job-built or commercially available 

guardrails that meet OSHA height 

and strength requirements [29 CFR 

1926.502(b); Bobick et al. 2010].

▶ Properly designed anchor points with 

appropriate personal fall arrest systems and lifelines [Bobick et al. 2010].

▶ Other forms of fall protection such as 

safety netting [29 CFR 1926.502(c)].

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards [2007] ANSI 

Z359.0 through Z359.18 describe safety 

requirements for fall arrest systems. 

ANSI Standard Z590.3 addresses prevention through design guidelines for hazards in the design and redesign processes. 

*Code of Federal Regulations. See CFR in 

References. 

Prevention through 

Design (PtD)

PtD addresses worker exposure to hazards during the design stages of a project. 

For example, when a building or other 

structure is designed or redesigned, risks 

of fall-related injuries and fatalities to 

construction workers and users of the 

completed facilities could be minimized 

by following a PtD approach. NIOSH 

recommends that facility designers, owners, constructors, and safety and health 

professionals collaborate to perform one 

or more safety design reviews to explore 

and address hazards likely to occur over 

the life cycle of the facility. 

This approach would incorporate safety 

features into the building’s design, address 

fall hazards in construction plans, establish safety criteria for buying equipment, 

and communicate risks to building owners and facilities personnel [Behm 2005] 

rather than rely on other forms of protection such as personal protective equipment (PPE) or administrative controls. 

Contents

▶ Description of Exposure

▶ Standards

▶ Design Solutions

▶ Cost Savings/Advantages of 

Permanent Features

▶ Case Study

▶ Recommendations 

▶ Acknowledgments

▶ References DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Design Solutions

Designers should first consider the need for 

permanent fall protection features to protect 

construction workers, future occupants of 

facilities, and repair workers from fall hazards. A safety design review can help evaluate tasks that expose workers to hazards. 

Designers and safety and health professionals can then use the hierarchy of controls 

to select the most appropriate options to 

address the identified risks [Gambatese et al. 

2005]. The hierarchy of controls for fall protection involves the following: 

1. Eliminating or modifying the fall hazard 

itself is the preferred approach:

a. Adopting a building design involving 

a single level at grade rather than multiple levels at elevations would be the 

best way to eliminate the fall hazard. 

b. Using parapet walls or permanent guardrails to separate the worker from the fall 

hazards would be the next preferred approach to eliminating the fall hazard. 

2. The second option is providing a fall restraint system that secures the worker via 

an anchor point, connector, lanyard, and 

body harness to prevent the worker from 

reaching the fall hazard is the next option. 

3. Installing a fall arrest system: this final 

option also uses an anchor point, connectors, lanyards, and body harnesses, but 

allows exposure to the fall and is then designed to stop the fall after it has begun. 

Installing permanent fall protection features, depending on when they are installed 

during the construction process, may also 

be used to provide fall protection to workers during the construction phase. 

A common requirement for all fall protection is the provision of suitably designed 

and installed anchor and support locations, 

which include a “secure connecting point or 

a terminating component of a fall protection 

system or rescue system capable of safely 

supporting the impact forces applied by a 

fall protection system or anchorage subsystem” [ANSI/ASSE 2011]. For many types 

of commercial and institutional buildings, 

equipment could be permanently embedded 

into steel or concrete parts of a building and 

used to set up fall protection systems. 

These embedded safety features could be used 

to prevent falls during construction and building maintenance after construction. Embedded features can include concrete straps, anchor points for use with appropriate personal 

fall arrest systems and lifelines, or guardrail 

support [See NIOSH 2013 for details, diagrams, and photos of various design features].

Temporary safety features are not part of the 

building when it is completed. Permanent 

features are part of the building when it is 

completed. Planning for installation of permanent features is the preferred approach 

and involves the architect and consulting engineers who design the building. The features 

provide protection for construction workers, 

operations and maintenance workers, and future construction workers doing renovation, 

refurbishment, disassembly, or modification.

The decision to include temporary features 

is made by the construction company’s engineers and safety personnel. These provide 

benefits for the construction worker and are 

typically removed when construction is done. 

OSHA general construction regulations [29 

CFR 1926 subpart M] state that fall protection 

is required at 6 feet for temporary or construction purposes. Different industries have other 

protective height requirements, and they can 

be found in the appropriate OSHA regulation. 

Embeds for guardrail support

Steel embeds could be placed along concrete 

slabs so that guardrails could be installed at 

the edges of all floors during construction. 

Embeds provide a secure method of installing guardrails that is quicker to install compared with bolted guardrail systems. Embeds 

could be used for both temporary systems 

used during construction, or for permanent 

guardrail or parapet systems used for both 

construction, operations and maintenance, 

and other future life-cycle needs. 

Embedded roof anchor points

Anchor points are needed when a personal 

fall restraint or personal fall arrest system 

is selected for fall protection. Several embedded anchor points can be installed so 

that they provide tie off points for attaching horizontal or vertical lifelines used for 

these systems. They should be independent 

of anchorage used to support or suspend 

platforms and capable of supporting at least 

5,000 pounds [29 CFR 1926.502(d)(15)]. 

Straps embedded in concrete 

Straps are installed before casting by attaching each strap to the reinforcement (e.g. steel 

rebar) that will be buried within a concrete 

column, beam, or slab. The other end of the 

strap and its connecting D-ring are left hanging, allowing workers to attach their personal 

fall protection harnesses or other personal 

safety equipment to the strap. D-rings and 

snap hooks must be able to support a 5,000 

pound load [29 CFR 1926.502(d)(3) and 29 

CFR 1926.502(d)(9)]. Straps should meet 

requirements for ANSI Standard Z359.1. The 

straps are typically removed after construction is finished, so this option is intended to 

provide temporary fall protection anchorage 

for construction workers. 

The decision to add concrete embeds should 

be made during the conceptual design of 

a building. Only a minimal amount of additional design would be needed [NIOSH 

2013]. Research is being conducted on the 

safety of new, environmentally friendly U.S. 

Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings, and recommendations have 

been proposed to include PtD safety features 

in these new designs. Including provisions 

during building construction to prevent 

injuries, illnesses, and fatalities among construction workers is an essential component 

of sustainable design [Harte 2009].

Cost Savings/

Advantages of 

Permanent Features

According to OSHA regulations, employers 

are the entities responsible for worker safety. 

Perhaps for this reason, architects and design 

engineers do not always consider hazards 

during the design phase of a construction 

project. It is also possible that building designers are wary of assuming responsibility 

for future safety incidents, however there is 

no research to suggest that building designers who consider safety are more subject to 
lawsuits than those who do not. Designers 

may also perceive that safety features take 

more time and money to install; designs 

are meant to be completed on schedule and 

cost effective for the owner [Gambatese et 

al. 1997; Gambatese et al. 2005; Toole and 

Gambatese 2008]. But having the fall safety 

features in the original design and permanently embedded in concrete has been shown 

to save money. Fall protection can be set up 

more efficiently using permanently installed 

features rather than the added costs associated with installing temporary fall protection 

each time there is a roof-related maintenance 

or renovation task [Gambatese et al. 1997]. As 

noted by Rajendran and Gambatese [2013], 

roof anchor points are generally low cost. 

Case Study

The NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program supports 

fatality investigation programs in several 

States. The following case from New Jersey 

illustrates the importance of correct installation and how embedded anchors might 

have prevented a fall. 

A 51-year-old construction worker died after 

falling from the roof of an industrial warehouse under construction. He was wearing 

full protective equipment, including a harness and retractable lanyard connected to a 

temporary metal anchor installed as part of 

the construction fall protection system. The 

anchor was attached to the unsecured leading 

edge of the corrugated decking. When the anchor broke free, he fell 40 feet to the ground.

In addition to improper anchor plates and 

screws, another contributing factor to the 

fall was having the anchor plate mounted on 

an unsecured edge. If the anchor plate had 

been an embedded feature that was part of a 

permanent fall protection system, the anchor 

might not have broken free and caused the 

victim to fall to the ground [NJ DOH 2012]. 

Recommendations 

Building owners and designers should take 

the following measures to prevent falls 

[NIOSH 2013; NYC DOB 2008; NJ Health 

2012]: 

▶ During retrofits, renovations, or new 

construction, perform a safety design 

review to identify and consider tasks 

that could involve fall hazards over the 

life cycle of the facility. Use Prevention 

through Design approaches to prevent 

fall hazards or to provide engineering 

features to provide fall protection.

▶ Consult with certified professional engineers to install new features or to retrofit 

older buildings with permanent embedded safety features.

▶ For new construction, an architect or 

structural engineer should prepare a 

drawing indicating the location of fall 

protection anchor points and their capacities for guiding construction and 

maintenance personnel. 

▶ Ensure that a competent person† [29 

CFR 1926.32(f)] inspects the fall arrest 

system before and during installation. 

▶ Have any existing concrete-embedded 

fall arrest systems field tested by a qualified testing entity to ensure that they are 

capable of withstanding intended loads.

▶ Ensure that a competent person inspects 

and evaluates the fall arrest systems regularly for damage. 

▶ Ensure that no one uses the system 

before compliance with the conditions 

listed above. 

Acknowledgments

This document was prepared by E. A. McKenzie, Jr., Division of Safety Research, Matt 

Gillen, Office of the Director, and Susan 

Afanuh, Education and Information Division, National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health.

†“Competent person” means one who is 

capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or 

working conditions that are unsanitary, 

hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take 

prompt corrective measures to eliminate 

them [29 CFR 1926.32(f)].

References

ANSI [2007]. Safety requirements for personal fall arrest systems, subsystems, and 

components. Standard Z359.1.

ANSI/ASSE [2011]. Prevention through 

design guidelines for addressing occupational hazards and risks in design and 

redesign processes. Standard Z590.3.

Behm M [2005]. Linking construction 

fatalities to the design for construction 

safety concept. Safety Sci 43:589−611. 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753505000731.

BLS [2012]. Table A‒9. Fatal occupational 

injuries by event or exposure for all fatal 

injuries and major private industry 1 

sector, all U.S., 2011. Washington, DC: 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.

gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cftb0267.pdf.

Bobick TG, McKenzie, Jr, EA, Kau T-Y 

[2010]. Evaluation of guardrail systems 

for preventing falls through roof and 

floor holes. J Safety Res 41: 203‒211.

CFR. Code of Federal regulations. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing 

Office, Office of the Federal Register. 

Gambatese JA, Hinze JW, Haas CT [1997]. 

Tool to design for construction worker 

safety. J Arch Eng March:32−41.

Gambatese JA, Behm M, Hinze JW [2005]. 

Viability of designing for construction 

worker safety. J Constr Eng Manage September:1029−1036. http://faculty.kfupm.

edu.sa/cem/jannadi/Viability-of-Designingfor-Construction-Worker-Safety.pdf.

Harte A [2009]. Safe and green building 

design. PtD in Motion Newsletter. July

(5):9‒10. 

NJ DOH [2012]. Hispanic construction 

worker wearing fall protection dies after 

falling 40 feet from roof. Trenton, NJ: 

New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health Services branch, Division of 

Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, Occupational Health 

Surveillance Unit. http://www.cdc.gov/

niosh/face/stateface/nj/09NJ099.html.

NYC DOB [2008]. Regulatory Notice: new 

protocols for existing and new concreteembedded fall arresting systems. New 

York City Department of Buildings. http://

www.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/regulatory_fall_arrest_061308.pdf.

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construction: instructor’s manual. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health 

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Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication 

No. 2013‒133. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

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39:225−230. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

topics/ptd/pdfs/Toole.pdf. 

For More Information 

The information in this document is based on research related to Prevention 

through Design (PtD) initiatives. More information about PtD is available 

on the NIOSH website at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/PtD.

More information about fall injury prevention can be found at:

▶ http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls

More information about the NIOSH FACE Program can be found on the 

NIOSH website at: 

▶ http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face 

▶ Click here for a list of NIOSH FACE Reports related to construction falls.

▶ Click here for a list of State FACE Reports related to construction falls.

▶ Click here for a list of NIOSH FACE Reports related to PtD.

To obtain information about other occupational safety and health topics, 

contact NIOSH at:

Telephone: 1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636)

TTY: 1–888–232–6348 • CDC INFO: www.cdc.gov/info

or visit the NIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh

For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to NIOSH eNews by 

visiting www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews. 

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by 

NIOSH. In addition, citations to websites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsing organizations or their programs 

or products. Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of 

these websites.

This document is in the public domain and may be freely 

copied or reprinted. NIOSH encourages all readers of the 

Workplace Design Solutions to make them available to all 

interested employers and workers.

As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH is the 

Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related illness and injuries.

May 2014 Publication No. 2014–124

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