2013 Arizona Revised Statutes
Title 23 - Labor
§ 23-492.04 Wood and light gage steel frame residential construction; application; definitions

23-492.04. Wood and light gage steel frame residential construction; application; definitions

A. This section applies to work directly associated with the framing of new residential buildings or structures using the operations, methods and procedures associated with residential-type framing activities, including joists or trusses resting on stud walls and work performed in the interior of the buildings or structures.

B. Before manually raising framed walls that are fifteen feet or more in height, temporary restraints such as cleats on the foundation or floor system or straps on the wall bottom plate shall be installed to prevent inadvertent horizontal sliding or uplift of the framed wall bottom plate. Anchor bolts alone shall not be used for blocking or bracing when raising framed walls fifteen feet or more in height.

C. Employees shall not work from or walk on top plates, joists, rafters, trusses, beams or other structural members until they are securely braced and supported.

D. If employees are walking or working on top plates, joists, rafters, trusses, beams or other similar structural members over fifteen feet above the surrounding grade or lower level below, fall protection shall be provided by scaffolding, personal fall protection systems or by other means prescribed by this article, except:

1. If employees are walking or working on securely braced joists, rafters or roof trusses on center spacing not exceeding twenty-four inches and more than six feet from an unprotected side or edge, the employees shall be considered protected from falls between the joists, rafters and roof trusses.

2. If installing floor joists, employees shall be considered protected from falls up to and including fifteen feet above the surrounding grade or floor level below when standing on or working from joists laid on their side on the top plate on center spacing not exceeding twenty-four inches if walking or working within twenty-four inches of the top plate or other structural support.

E. If a truss support plate is used during the installation of trusses, the truss support plate shall be constructed of a two-inch by six-inch plank laid flat that is secured lineally to a two-inch by six-inch plank laid on edge and supported with two-inch by four-inch wood members that are spaced no more than six feet on center and attached to diagonal bracing adequately secured to support its intended load. All material dimensions are minimum and nominal.

F. If working on floors and other walking or working surfaces that will later be enclosed by framed exterior walls, employees directly involved with the layout and construction of framed stud walls shall be protected from falling by standard guardrails pursuant to section 23-492.06 around all unprotected sides or edges, or by other means prescribed by this article, if the floor or walking or working surface is over fifteen feet above the surrounding grade or floor level below.

G. The following applies when installing starter board, roof sheathing and fascia board:

1. Employees shall be protected from falling by scaffolding, guardrails, personal fall protection systems or other means prescribed by this article, as follows:

(a) For structures greater than one story in height where the fall height exceeds fifteen feet above the surrounding grade or floor level below.

(b) If working on a roof that is sloped greater than 7:12, except for a roof that is sloped up to 12:12, slide guards may be used as fall protection up to and including fifteen feet as measured from the eaves to the surrounding grade or lower level below.

2. Employees who work inside the gable end truss or rafter shall be considered protected from falls where the gable end truss has been installed and braced to withstand a lateral force of two hundred pounds and the employee installs fascia or starter board working from within the gable end truss or rafter.

3. If work must be performed outside the gable end truss or rafter, the employee shall be protected from falling by scaffolding or a personal fall protection system or other means prescribed by this article, except that if the work is of short duration and limited exposure and the hazards involved in rigging and installing the safety devices require equal or exceed the hazards involved in the actual construction, these provisions may be temporarily suspended provided the work is performed by a qualified person.

H. Wall openings shall be guarded pursuant to section 23-492.03. The guardrail may be removed immediately before installing the window components if removal of the guardrail is necessary to install the window.

I. If scaffolding is used, it shall be constructed pursuant to 29 Code of Federal Regulations section 1926, subpart L. If scaffolds are installed parallel and adjacent to framed structure walls, the interior railing may be omitted for installation of floor joists, rafters or trusses if the scaffold platform is fifteen feet or less from the interior floor level below and the top plate is higher than the adjacent work platform. If scaffolding is used as an edge protection platform:

1. The platform shall not be more than two feet vertically below the top plate and the platform shall be fully planked.

2. The distance between the inboard edge of the platform and the building or structure wall shall not be more than sixteen inches.

3. A toeboard that is two-inch by six-inch or larger shall be secured on edge parallel to the outer rail.

J. Scaffolds shall be secured in tension and compression to the structure at or near the top of the scaffold at each end and at every other frame not to exceed twenty-foot intervals.

K. Guardrailings shall extend not less than forty-two inches vertically above the eaves if the outboard edge of the platform extends less than twelve inches horizontally beyond the eaves.

L. Employees who are exposed to fall hazards shall be trained pursuant to section 23-492.09 to recognize fall hazards associated with the erection and construction activities and trained to minimize these hazards. Such training shall be documented pursuant to section 23-492.09.

M. If the employer demonstrates that it is infeasible or creates a greater hazard to use these systems, the employer shall develop and implement a fall protection plan that meets the requirements of section 23-492.07.

N. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Bottom plate" or " sole plate" means the bottom horizontal member of a frame wall.

2. " Eaves" means the lowest edge of a sloped roof.

3. " Fascia board" means the exterior trim board at the perimeter of the roof.

4. " Joist" means one of a series of parallel beams used to create a structural support system for a floor deck or flat roof onto which sheathing is fastened.

5. " Nominal size" means the commercial size designation of a standard width and depth of standardized sawn lumber and glue laminated lumber grades, larger than the standard actual net size of the finished, dressed lumber. " Nominal size" includes an approximate rough-cut dimension assigned to a piece of material as a convenience in referencing to the piece.

6. " Rafter" means one of a series of structural members of a roof that is designed to support roof loads. " Rafter" includes:

(a) A framing member that runs up and down the slope of a pitched roof.

(b) The beams that slope from the ridge of a roof to the eaves and make up the main body of the roof's framework.

(c) Roof joists for the rafters of a flat roof.

7. " Sheathing" means the structural panel covering that is fastened to studs, floor joists, rafters or trusses.

8. " Slide guard" means a two inch nominal cleat, on centers not to exceed four feet, that is securely fastened to the roof sheathing to provide footing on a sloped roof.

9. " Starter board" means the board-type sheathing material that is installed at eaves and gable ends in the plane of the sheathing and visible from the underside.

10. " Stud" or " wall stud" means a vertical framing member in walls and partitions that are attached to the horizontal sole plate below and the top plate above.

11. " Top plate" means the top horizontal member of a frame wall supporting ceiling joists, rafters or other structural members.

12. " Truss" means the prefabricated structural roof unit that consists of triangular bracing or truss web between the ceiling joist or bottom chord and the roof rafter or top chord commonly installed parallel with other trusses to create a structural support system for a roof after which sheathing is fastened. The bottom chord often serves as a ceiling joist. Each member is usually subjected to longitudinal stress only, either tension or compression.

13. " Truss support plate" means a temporary support structure that is erected near mid-span of an area with a large open span, such as a garage, to support trusses during installation.