Best of Success Seminar: Simplify Compliance and Boost Profits With Guardrail Systems

Since 1965, Chip Macdonald has been active in many aspects of the construction trades as a roofer, framing carpenter, draftsman, estimator, project manager and general contractor. As president of Best Safety LLC in Cambridge, N.Y., he has provided safety training for union members and building contractors throughout the Northeast since 1977. He combined his passions this year by testing several different residential guardrail systems, and he presented his findings at Best of Success. Macdonald explored the pros and cons of both personal fall arrest systems and guardrail systems, comparing their performance from both a safety and a profitability point of view. With a well-trained, well-seasoned crew, guardrail systems offer better performance and increased profitability on most residential projects, concluded Macdonald. His prediction that guardrail systems would become standard operating procedure for work on most sloped roofs was reflected in the title of his presentation: “The Future of Residential Fall Protection.”

Since 1970, OSHA has required all construction workers to be protected from falls greater than 6 feet by personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), personal safety net systems or guardrail systems. As of March 15, 2013, OSHA has enforced STD 03-11-002, which removed some temporary exemptions for residential roofing contractors, requiring them to use PFAS, safety nets or guardrails unless they can be proven to be infeasible or pose a greater hazard.