1926.1003: Overhead Protection for Construction Tractors
When overhead protection is provided on wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction, it must be designed and installed to SAE J167 or ISO 27850:2013 for equipment made before July 15, 2019, and to ISO 27850:2013 for equipment made on or after that date. The protection guards operators from falling objects and from the cover itself in an upset.
Key takeaways
- 1926.1003 is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart W).
- OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $12,000 in current penalties.
- 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most-cited part: 1926.1003(a) General (1 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.1003, "Overhead protection for operators of agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction", is an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart W). It has 4 numbered 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
Show the full text of 1926.1003 (4 paragraphs)
(a) General. This section sets forth requirements for overhead protection used to protect operators of wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction work that will minimize the possibility of operator injury resulting from overhead objects such as flying or falling objection, and from the cover itself in the event of accidental upset. Open (a) 1 citations
(b) Equipment manufactured before July 15, 2019. When overhead protection is provided on wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors manufactured before July 15, 2019, the overhead protection shall be designed and installed according to the requirements contained in the test and performance requirements of Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J167, Protective Frame with Overhead Protection-Test Procedures and Performance Requirements, which pertains to overhead protection requirements (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6) or comply with the consensus standard (ISO 27850:2013) listed in paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Equipment manufactured on or after July 15, 2019. When overhead protection is provided on wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors manufactured on or after July 15, 2019, the overhead protection shall be designed and installed according to the requirements contained in the test and performance requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 27850:2013, Tractors for agriculture and forestry—Falling object protective structures—Test procedures and performance requirements, which pertains to overhead protection requirements (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6).
(d) Site clearing. In the case of machines to which § 1926.604 (relating to site clearing) also applies, the overhead protection may be either the type of protection provided in § 1926.604, or the type of protection provided by this section.
[84 FR 21578, May 14, 2019]
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
Injuries linked to this rule
1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1926.1003.
At 3:00 p.m. on September 4, 2024, Employee #1 was operating a John Deere 520M Tractor with a John Deere MX6 Rotary Cutter attached to the rear to clear trailson the Bollinger Property. While backing up the tractor, Employee #1 struck a dead (snag) tree…
Where and how often it was cited
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OSHA interpretation letters
- Roll-over protective-structures on Cary-lift loaders (1992-01-24)
- Roll-over Protective Systems (ROPS) on trenchers and snow vehicles. (1974-01-21)
Most-cited parts of this rule
- 1926.1003(a) General 1 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What standard applies to tractors made on or after July 15, 2019?
ISO 27850:2013.
What applies to tractors made before July 15, 2019?
SAE J167, or the ISO 27850:2013 consensus standard.
What does the overhead protection protect against?
Overhead objects such as flying or falling objects, and the cover itself in the event of accidental upset.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.1003 (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 2026-10-19
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.