Fall Protection Plan: Complete Guide + Template

Last updated: April 2026

An OSHA inspector walks onto your site and asks for your fall protection plan. If you hand them a generic template you downloaded from the internet, you have a problem. A fall protection plan must be site-specific, hazard-specific, and system-specific. A fall protection plan is a written document that identifies fall hazards on a specific job site, specifies the fall protection systems to be used, and details rescue procedures if a fall occurs. In the US, OSHA requires a written plan when conventional fall protection is infeasible. In most Canadian provinces, a written plan is required whenever workers are at height. This guide covers what the plan must include and gives you a framework to build one.

For the full overview of fall protection regulations, read our complete fall protection guide.

When Is a Written Fall Protection Plan Required?

United States: OSHA 1926.502(k)

Under OSHA's construction standards, a written fall protection plan is specifically required when an employer can demonstrate that conventional fall protection (guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest systems) is infeasible or would create a greater hazard. The plan must:

• Be prepared by a qualified person
• Be specific to the job site
• Document why conventional fall protection cannot be used
• Describe the alternative measures to be taken
• Identify the employees and locations covered

In practice, even when OSHA does not technically mandate a written plan, having one demonstrates that you have assessed the fall hazards and selected appropriate controls. During an inspection, a site with a written plan is treated very differently from a site without one.

Canada: Provincial Requirements

In Alberta, OHS Code Part 9, Section 139 requires a fall protection plan whenever a worker may fall 3 metres or more and guardrails are not in place. The plan must include the fall hazards, the fall protection system to be used, the procedures for assembly, maintenance, inspection, use, and disassembly, and the rescue procedures.

British Columbia's OHS Regulation Part 11 similarly requires written fall protection procedures when workers are exposed to a risk of falling. Ontario's Construction Projects regulation requires documentation as part of the overall health and safety plan.

What a Fall Protection Plan Must Include

A strong fall protection plan covers seven areas. If your plan does not address all seven, it has gaps.

1. Site-Specific Hazard Identification

Walk the site. Identify every location where a worker could fall. Include roof edges, floor holes, skylights, scaffold platforms, ladder access points, leading edges during steel erection, and excavation edges. Map these on a site plan.

2. Fall Protection System Selection

For each identified hazard, specify which fall protection system will be used. Follow the hierarchy of controls: elimination first, then guardrails, then restraint, then arrest. Document why you chose the system you did.

3. Anchor Point Locations and Ratings

Identify and document every anchor point. Include the type (beam clamp, roof anchor, engineered system), the rated capacity, and who installed or certified it. OSHA requires 5,000 lbs per person or an engineered system with a safety factor of 2.

4. Equipment Specifications

List the specific equipment: harness model, lanyard type and length, SRL model, and applicable standards (ANSI Z359 or CSA Z259). Include fall clearance calculations for each work area where fall arrest is used.

5. Rescue Plan

This is the section most plans either skip or fill with vague language like "call 911." A fall protection rescue plan must specify how a suspended worker will be reached and lowered within minutes, not hours. Include:

• Who is trained and equipped to perform rescue
• What rescue equipment is on site (rescue pole, SRL with rescue capability, ladder)
• The estimated time to reach and lower the worker
• Self-rescue options (suspension trauma relief straps)

For detailed rescue planning, see our fall protection rescue plan guide.

6. Training Requirements

Document who needs training, what training they need, and when it was last completed. Reference the competent person requirement under OSHA 1926.503 (US) or provincial requirements (Canada). Include the fall protection training requirements for your jurisdiction.

7. Inspection and Maintenance Schedule

Define when and how equipment will be inspected. Pre-use visual inspection is the minimum. Annual formal inspections by a qualified person are industry standard. Document any equipment removed from service and the reason.

Common Fall Protection Plan Mistakes

• Using a generic template without site-specific details. "Workers will use fall protection when working at height" is not a plan. It is a policy statement.
• No fall clearance calculations. Specifying a 6-foot lanyard without verifying there is enough clearance below the worker is a plan that looks good on paper and kills people in practice.
• The rescue plan is "call 911." Emergency services are not equipped for high-angle rescue from a construction site. By the time they arrive, a suspended worker may already be unconscious from suspension trauma.
• The plan is not updated when conditions change. A fall protection plan written during steel erection does not cover the hazards during the cladding phase.
• No competent person designated. Someone on site must have the authority and knowledge to identify fall hazards and take corrective action immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions