29 CFR 1926 · Construction · Subpart M

1926.502(h)(1)(v): Monitor Has No Other Duties

By Black Belt Safety Editorial Team Official text as of October 15, 2026 Data updated November 7, 2026 2 min read

Low-slope roof warning line set back 6 feet from the edge, 10 feet where equipment travels
Warning lines on low-slope roofs. Not to scale; the official text controls.
In plain words:

The safety monitor must not have other responsibilities that could take attention away from monitoring.

Key takeaways

  • 1926.502(h)(1)(v) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart M).
  • OSHA cited it 56 times in the last 3 years, in 56 inspections, with $167,160 in current penalties.
  • 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
  • Most citations: PA (10), OH (7), IL (7).
  • Related part: 1926.502(h) Safety monitoring systems (109 citations).
  • Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.

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56citations, 3 years
$167,160current penalties
56inspections
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(h)(1)(v) 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

(v) The safety monitor shall not have other responsibilities which could take the monitor's attention from the monitoring function. 56 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: 56 inspections cited 1926.502(h)(1)(v) 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(h)(1)(v).

Employee is killed in fall from roof
2024-01-20 · Fatal · VAIL, AZ

At 12:15 a.m. on January 20, 2024, a foreman was directing roof repair, when he fell through a hole in the roof, falling 9 feet 6inches. He suffered a head injury and was killed.

Where and how often it was cited

YearCitations
20232
202426
202513
202615

Top states: PA (10), OH (7), IL (7), NJ (5), VA (3)

Largest penalties

EmployerLocationPenalty for this rule
EMBREE CONSTRUCTION GROUP INCALBUQUERQUE, NM$16,554
BOAK AND SONS INC.INDEPENDENCE, OH$16,550
KEMPSVILLE ROOFING INC.CHESAPEAKE, VA$16,287
TYCOR ROOFING INC.UNIONTOWN, OH$11,585
CORNELL ROOFING AND SHEET METALGRANDVIEW, MO$11,292

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OSHA interpretation letters

None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1926.502(h)(1)(v).

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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