29 CFR 1926 · Construction · Subpart M

1926.502(d)(15)(i): Engineered Anchorage: Safety Factor of Two

By Black Belt Safety Editorial Team Official text as of October 15, 2026 Data updated November 7, 2026 3 min read

Personal fall arrest: 5,000 pound anchor, 6-foot free fall maximum, 3.5-foot deceleration maximum
Personal fall arrest limits. Not to scale; the official text controls.
In plain words:

An anchorage that does not meet the 5,000-pound rule must be part of a complete personal fall arrest system that keeps a safety factor of at least two.

Key takeaways

  • 1926.502(d)(15)(i) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart M).
  • OSHA cited it 11 times in the last 3 years, in 11 inspections, with $29,366 in current penalties.
  • 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
  • Most citations: IL (4), AK (2), WI (2).
  • Related part: 1926.502(d) Personal fall arrest systems (1,999 citations).
  • Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.

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11citations, 3 years
$29,366current penalties
11inspections
1linked deaths
In this article
  1. What this rule covers
  2. Official text
  3. Injuries linked to this rule
  4. Where and how often it was cited
  5. Free toolbox talk
  6. OSHA interpretation letters
  7. Related parts of this rule
  8. Get your crew competent
  9. About this page

What this rule covers

29 CFR 1926.502(d)(15)(i) is one requirement inside 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practices, an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart M). 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

(i) as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two; and 11 citations

Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.502.

See every company cited for this rule.

Export the list: 11 inspections cited 1926.502(d)(15)(i) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.

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Injuries linked to this rule

1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1926.502(d)(15)(i).

Employee is fatally injured while leveling vertical mullion
2025-02-21 · Fatal · LAKEWOOD, NJ

At 8:30 a.m. on February 21, 2025, Employee #1 was working as a construction trades helper for a general building contractor and was ensuring that a verticalmullion was level. Employee #1 was attempting to hand a tool to a coworker who was on an aerial…

Where and how often it was cited

YearCitations
20243
20258

Top states: IL (4), AK (2), WI (2), VA (1), NJ (1)

Largest penalties

EmployerLocationPenalty for this rule
J & F FLOORING, LLCASHBURN, VA$14,270
SEVENS CONSTRUCTION, INC.LA GRANGE, IL$5,958
GEBHARDT'S ROOFING AND REMODELING, LLCSPRINGFIELD, IL$3,476
TBR CONSTRUCTION, LLCFRANKFORT, IL$3,000
317739796 - C & C CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INCATHENA, OR$1,412

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OSHA interpretation letters

None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1926.502(d)(15)(i).

Related parts of this rule

Get your crew competent

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About this page

Sources

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.

Written and reviewed by

Black Belt Safety Editorial Team

Site Safety Officer and Safety Professional

OSHA 30 · CPR · USACE CQM

Written and reviewed by the Black Belt Safety team. Every post is checked against the OSHA standard or agency source it cites.

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