1926.1425: Keeping Clear of the Load
Employers must use hoisting routes that minimize worker exposure to hoisted loads where available, and keep employees out of the fall zone except those hooking, unhooking, guiding, making initial attachments, or operating a concrete hopper or bucket. Workers in the fall zone need rigging that prevents displacement, self-closing latch hooks, and a qualified rigger, with added limits for receiving loads and tilt-up or tilt-down work.
Key takeaways
- 1926.1425 is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart CC).
- OSHA cited it 75 times in the last 3 years, in 63 inspections, with $506,797 in current penalties.
- 4 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: TX (12), OH (8), NC (8).
- Most-cited part: 1926.1425(c) (40 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.1425, "Keeping clear of the load", is an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart CC). It has 13 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 1926.1425 (13 paragraphs)
(a) Where available, hoisting routes that minimize the exposure of employees to hoisted loads must be used, to the extent consistent with public safety. 4 citations
(b) While the operator is not moving a suspended load, no employee must be within the fall zone, except for employees: 8 citations
(1) Engaged in hooking, unhooking or guiding a load;
(2) Engaged in the initial attachment of the load to a component or structure; or
(3) Operating a concrete hopper or concrete bucket.
(c) When employees are engaged in hooking, unhooking, or guiding the load, or in the initial connection of a load to a component or structure and are within the fall zone, all of the following criteria must be met: Open (c) 40 citations
(1) The materials being hoisted must be rigged to prevent unintentional displacement. Open (c)(1) 17 citations
(2) Hooks with self-closing latches or their equivalent must be used. Exception: “J” hooks are permitted to be used for setting wooden trusses. 3 citations
(3) The materials must be rigged by a qualified rigger. Open (c)(3) 19 citations
(d) Receiving a load. Only employees needed to receive a load are permitted to be within the fall zone when a load is being landed. Open (d) 6 citations
(e) During a tilt-up or tilt-down operation: Open (e) 17 citations
(1) No employee must be directly under the load. 8 citations
(2) Only employees essential to the operation are permitted in the fall zone (but not directly under the load). An employee is essential to the operation if the employee is conducting one of the following operations and the employer can demonstrate it is infeasible for the employee to perform that operation from outside the fall zone: (1) Physically guide the load; (2) closely monitor and give instructions regarding the load's movement; or (3) either detach it from or initially attach it to another component or structure (such as, but not limited to, making an initial connection or installing bracing). Open (e)(2) 9 citations
Boom free fall is prohibited when an employee is in the fall zone of the boom or load, and load line free fall is prohibited when an employee is directly under the load; see § 1926.1426.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.
Export the list: 63 inspections cited 1926.1425 in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moInjuries linked to this rule
4 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1926.1425.
At 10:39 a.m. on July 2, 2024, a custom-fabricated lifting accessory was being used to lift a new roof structure for a grain bin into place. Employees onsite were in the process of bolting the structure when the lifting accessory failed. Employee #1 was working…
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 | 30 |
| 2025 | 22 |
| 2026 | 18 |
Top states: TX (12), OH (8), NC (8), SD (7), FL (5)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| MCDERMOTT, LLC | SABINE PASS, TX | $33,100 |
| 156273 - BAKER CONCRETE CONSTRUCTORS LLC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $32,262 |
| NORTHLAND CONCRETE AND MASONRY COMPANY, LLC | SIOUX FALLS, SD | $20,300 |
| FLINTCO, LLC | HOUSTON, TX | $16,550 |
| CONSOLIDATED CRANE AND RIGGING, LLC | HOUSTON, TX | $16,550 |
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1926.1425.
Most-cited parts of this rule
- 1926.1425(c) 40 citations
- 1926.1425(c)(3) 19 citations
- 1926.1425(c)(1) 17 citations
- 1926.1425(e) 17 citations
- 1926.1425(e)(2) 9 citations
- 1926.1425(d) Receiving a load 6 citations
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Frequently asked questions
Who may be in the fall zone while a load is suspended?
Only employees hooking, unhooking or guiding a load, making the initial attachment, or operating a concrete hopper or bucket.
What is required when workers are in the fall zone?
Materials rigged to prevent unintentional displacement, hooks with self-closing latches or equivalent, and rigging by a qualified rigger.
Who may be in the fall zone when a load is landed?
Only employees needed to receive the load.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.1425 (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 2026-11-06
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.