1926.502(d)(16)(iv): 3.5-Foot Deceleration Distance
A personal fall arrest system must bring the worker to a complete stop with no more than 3.5 feet of deceleration distance.
Official text: 29 CFR 1926.502(d)(16)(iv)
(iv) bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m); and,
7 citationsSource: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.502.
Free toolbox talk for this rule
A 5-minute crew talk on 1926.502(d)(16)(iv), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
Injuries linked to this rule
1 injury case in the last 3 years came from inspections where OSHA cited 1926.502(d)(16)(iv), including 1 death.
At 5:00 p.m. on February 16, 2024, Employee #1 was working for a highway/street construction contractor. Employee #1 was using a portable grinder to cut a hanger on a pipe attached to the bottom of the bridge. It appears that when the hanger was cut…
Where and how often it was cited
OSHA interpretation letters
- Criteria for personal fall arrest systems. (1995-02-09)
Related parts of this rule
- 1926.502(d) Personal fall arrest systems 2,011 citations
- 1926.502(d)(17) 560 citations
- 1926.502(d)(15) 507 citations
- 1926.502(d)(16) 326 citations
- 1926.502(d)(16)(iii) 277 citations
- 1926.502(d)(21) 136 citations
- 1926.502(d)(6) 128 citations
- 1926.502(d)(6)(i) 111 citations
- 1926.502(d)(15)(ii) 55 citations
- 1926.502(d)(11) 44 citations
- 1926.502(d)(8) 17 citations
- 1926.502(d)(1) 17 citations
Get your crew competent
Trainers on Black Belt Safety: Marc Harvey, Dana Reyes
Trainers and suppliers: feature your business on this rule for $25/month.
About this page
Official text from the eCFR. Citation and injury numbers from public U.S. Department of Labor enforcement and accident records, copied nightly; 3-year window; data as of 2026-10-18. 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.