California Mulls Lower Height for Construction Worker Fall Rule

California home builders and their subcontractors would have to provide employees with fall protection equipment anytime the workers are more than six feet above the ground or a floor, according to a proposed change in state safety rules.

The proposal is set for a Thursday hearing before the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. If adopted, it would bring the state’s construction safety standards in line with protections the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has enforced since 2013.

Currently, California often doesn’t require fall protection for workers at residential building sites unless they’re at least 15 feet high. ...