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§1910.28Warm lead item

Rooftop HVAC Access & Fall Protection for Retail

Rooftop HVAC Access & Fall Protection for Retail

storefront Why retail roofs are exposed

Strip centers and retail buildings put HVAC, refrigeration and utilities on low-slope roofs, and every time a technician goes up to service them they're on a walking-working surface near an unprotected roof edge. Units close to an edge, skylights, hatches and pipe crossovers are all citable §1910.28 fall hazards on retail property.

ac_unit The units that trigger it

OSHA's low-slope roof rules (§1910.28(b)(13)) are distance-based: work within 6 ft of the edge always needs conventional fall protection; 6–15 ft needs protection too (a designated area is allowed only for infrequent, temporary work); and beyond 15 ft you still must enforce a work rule keeping crews back from the edge. Multi-tenant retail roofs see frequent vendor traffic, which raises the odds someone is exposed on any given day.

construction How we make access safe

La Gala adds the right rooftop protection — guardrail or designated-area systems at the units, certified tie-off anchors, and covers for skylights and hatches — and certifies it through our PE partner, so every service visit is compliant. One contract for the inspection and the install.

Got this on a citation — or want to get ahead of it?

Our PE partner certifies it and our crews fix it, under one contract. Start with a comprehensive, no-obligation assessment, or build a custom compliance plan in two minutes.

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