1926.502(h): Safety Monitoring Systems
A safety monitor must be a competent person who recognizes fall hazards, warns workers, stays on the same surface within sight and talking distance, and has no other duties. Mechanical equipment is not allowed in monitored low-slope roofing areas, and only roofers or workers under a fall protection plan may be in the monitored area.
Key takeaways
- 1926.502(h) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart M).
- OSHA cited it 109 times in the last 3 years, in 96 inspections, with $350,498 in current penalties.
- 2 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: IL (12), PA (11), OH (11).
- Related part: 1926.502(h)(1) (108 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.502(h) ("Safety monitoring systems") is one requirement inside 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practices, an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart M). It includes 9 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(h) Safety monitoring systems. Safety monitoring systems [See §§ 1926.501(b)(10) and 1926.502(k)] and their use shall comply with the following provisions: 109 citations
(1) The employer shall designate a competent person to monitor the safety of other employees and the employer shall ensure that the safety monitor complies with the following requirements: Open (h)(1) 108 citations
(i) The safety monitor shall be competent to recognize fall hazards; Open (h)(1)(i) 4 citations
(ii) The safety monitor shall warn the employee when it appears that the employee is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe manner; Open (h)(1)(ii) 5 citations
(iii) The safety monitor shall be on the same walking/working surface and within visual sighting distance of the employee being monitored; Open (h)(1)(iii) 18 citations
(iv) The safety monitor shall be close enough to communicate orally with the employee; and Open (h)(1)(iv) 1 citations
(v) The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities which could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function. Open (h)(1)(v) 56 citations
(2) Mechanical equipment shall not be used or stored in areas where safety monitoring systems are being used to monitor employees engaged in roofing operations on low-slope roofs. Open (h)(2) 1 citations
(3) No employee, other than an employee engaged in roofing work [on low-sloped roofs] or an employee covered by a fall protection plan, shall be allowed in an area where an employee is being protected by a safety monitoring system.
(4) Each employee working in a controlled access zone shall be directed to comply promptly with fall hazard warnings from safety monitors.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.502.
Export the list: 96 inspections cited 1926.502(h) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
2 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1926.502(h).
At 4:15 p.m. on January 9, 2025, Employee #1 was working as a roofer for a general contractor and was working on a new construction low-slope commercial roof. Employee #1 was was installing plastic membrane material to the flat roofsurface in close proximity to the…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 50 |
| 2025 | 25 |
| 2026 | 29 |
Top states: IL (12), PA (11), OH (11), NY (9), NJ (9)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| KAPILI CONSTRUCTION LLC | HONOLULU, HI | $17,735 |
| EMBREE CONSTRUCTION GROUP INC | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $16,554 |
| BOAK AND SONS INC. | INDEPENDENCE, OH | $16,550 |
| KEMPSVILLE ROOFING INC. | CHESAPEAKE, VA | $16,287 |
| INTERSTATE ROOFING & WATERPROOFING, INC. | WINDSOR, WI | $14,068 |
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1926.502(h).
Related parts of this rule
- 1926.502(h)(1) 108 citations
- 1926.502(h)(1)(v) 56 citations
- 1926.502(h)(1)(iii) 18 citations
- 1926.502(h)(1)(ii) 5 citations
- 1926.502(h)(1)(i) 4 citations
- 1926.502(h)(1)(iv) 1 citations
- 1926.502(h)(2) 1 citations
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.502 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-07
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.