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OSHA Fall Prevention: 
The High Ground

This 8-hour online course provides invaluable lessons on the importance of fall prevention. You'll review OSHA standards for fall prevention and learn how to recognize and avoid common fall hazards in the construction industry.

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This training is ideal for construction workers, demolition workers, construction supervisors and forepersons who require safety training for working at heights.

Note: This course does not satisfy NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) requirements for Site Safety Training. If you are an NYC construction worker seeking an SST card, you must take the SST 8-Hour Fall Prevention course.

Complete Your OSHA 8-Hour Fall Prevention Training Online

Our online Fall Prevention course has numerous benefits, including:

  • 24/7 course access
  • Guaranteed to pass
  • Log on and off as needed
  • Train anywhere with internet access
  • You have 180 days to complete the course

Once you finish the course and pass a brief test on the core topics, you can instantly download your certificate of completion. The OSHA Fall Prevention course takes about eight hours to complete.

About the 8-Hour Fall Prevention Course

As you work through the course's 12 learning modules, you'll improve your understanding of fall hazards in construction and learn effective strategies to avoid them.

Each module ends with a 10-question quiz, and you have an unlimited number of attempts to pass. You must score at least 80% on each quiz to advance to the next section.

When you complete the course, you will be prompted to take a 20-question final exam. If you do not pass your exam on the first attempt, you can retake it until you get a passing score of 70% or higher.

Once you successfully pass the course, you can instantly download your certificate of completion.

Who Should Take the OSHA Fall Prevention Course?

This course is ideal for any worker who requires construction safety training.

This may include:

  • Construction workers
  • Demolition workers
  • Construction supervisors
  • Forepersons

If you are an NYC construction worker who needs eight hours of fall prevention training to comply with Local Law 196, you will need to take the SST 8-Hour Fall Prevention course. OSHA Fall Prevention does not satisfy DOB standards for Site Safety Training.

Learning Objectives for OSHA Fall Prevention

The primary goal of this course is to teach workers the importance of fall prevention and prepare them to recognize and avoid common fall hazards. You will also learn about regulatory safety requirements and how to make informed decisions when working at heights.

Key topics covered in the course include:

  • The importance of fall prevention
  • Terms associated with falls in construction
  • Analyzing fall hazards
  • Regulatory safety requirements associated with falls (including OSHA's Subpart M)
  • Applying fall hazard knowledge to evaluate fall risks

Course Outline for OSHA Fall Prevention

The Fall Prevention course is divided into 12 learning modules that prepare you to work safely at heights. You can find a full outline of each module below.

Module 1: Introduction to Fall Prevention

Topics covered in Module 1 include:

  • Fatal fall statistics
  • Competent persons

Learning objectives include:

  • Explain the importance of fall prevention
  • Describe the responsibilities and regulations relevant to competent persons

Module 2: Types of Fall Hazards

Topics covered in Module 2 include:

  • Fall protection requirements
  • Preventing slips and trips

Learning objectives include:

  • Classify different types of occupational fall hazards
  • Identify risks associated with each type of fall hazard

Module 3: The Science of Falls

Topics covered in Module 3 include:

  • Laws of motion
  • Force, mass and acceleration
  • Tension force
  • Angle force

Learning objectives include:

  • Describe why falling is dangerous, even from heights that do not seem intimidating
  • Analyze and predict the level of risk associated with different heights

Module 4: Fall Controls and Protection — The Big Three

Topics covered in Module 4 include:

  • Levels of protection
  • The Big Three
  • Guardrail systems
  • Safety net systems
  • Personal fall arrest systems

Learning objectives include:

  • Define the three primary forms of fall protection
  • Describe the types of personal fall arrest systems

Module 5: Ladders, Stairways and Scaffolds

Topics covered in Module 5 include:

  • Ladders and stairways
  • Suspended and supported scaffold use
  • Aerial lifts

Learning objectives include:

  • List fall prevention and protection regulations for portable and fixed ladders
  • State the rules for using stairs and temporary stairways during construction
  • Describe fall prevention and protection regulations for scaffold use

Module 6: Struck-by and Falls-to-the-Same-Level Controls

Topics covered in Module 6 include:

  • Housekeeping
  • Storage prohibitions
  • Tethering of tools
  • Sidewalk sheds
  • Hard hats

Learning objectives include:

  • Describe the importance of proper housekeeping and storage in preventing falls
  • Explain why tethering tools, using sidewalk sheds and wearing hardhats are important safety practices
  • List methods for securing debris, tools and large items on a worksite to minimize struck-by and same-level fall hazards

Module 7: Other Fall Controls

Topics covered in Module 7 include:

  • Controlled and limited access zones
  • Controlled decking zones
  • Safety monitoring systems
  • Hole covers
  • Safeguarding machinery
  • Ramps and runways

Learning objectives include:

  • Explain why and when it is necessary to establish controlled and limited access zones
  • List the regulations that apply to fall controls such as covering holes, monitoring systems and securing unguarded machinery
  • Describe rules for the construction and use of ramps and runways

Module 8: Exercise — Calculating Fall Distances

Topics covered in Module 8 include:

  • Fall clearance distance
  • Sample calculations
  • Practice exercises

Learning objectives include:

  • Compute real fall distances when wearing fall protection
  • Describe how to properly use fall controls

Module 9: Prompt Rescue Plan

Topics covered in Module 9 include:

  • Danger and promptness
  • Self-rescue vs. aided rescue
  • Equipment and training
  • Treatment and monitoring
  • Making the plan

Learning objectives include:

  • Identify and internalize the risks of not having a prompt rescue plan
  • Summarize the basics of preparing a prompt rescue plan

Module 10: Site Safety Plans and Checklists

Topics covered in Module 10 include:

  • Site safety plans
  • Site safety checklists

Learning objectives include:

  • Outline a safety checklist
  • Describe a site safety plan
  • Evaluate risks and choose compliant fall controls

Module 11: Exercise — Choosing Fall Protection

Topics covered in Module 11 include:

  • Choosing the right fall protection for the job

Learning objectives include:

  • Identify the fall risks in a given scenario
  • Select appropriate fall protection for different tasks

Module 12: Exercise — Making Decisions and Wearing Equipment

Topics covered in Module 12 include:

  • Taking a proactive approach to fall safety
  • Analyzing situations for fall prevention risks

Learning objectives include:

  • Select the correct safety practices for real-world scenarios
  • Practice taking an active approach to fall safety
  • Test fall protection responses against compliant answers

Additional Links and Resources

Find more information about OSHA standards for fall prevention, including informative fact sheets and official standards for the construction industry.