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Separate lifelines for employees on suspended scaffolds

Summary A requester asked whether workers on a suspended scaffold could share a lifeline. OSHA said the cited construction rule required each employee to have a safety belt and lifeline and did not allow two or more employees to use one common lifeline. OSHA now archives the letter as potentially outdated.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1986-10-30
Date issued
October 30, 1986
Status
Archived by the agency
OSHA archives this letter and says it may no longer represent OSHA policy.
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Scaffolds Fall Protection
Source
View the official document

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The current status of this document is unclear
OSHA archives this letter and says it may no longer represent OSHA policy. It may no longer reflect the agency's current position. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance, and verify current law before relying on anything here.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.

October 30, 1986
Mr. George Eck
Dorsey & Whitney
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Eck:
This is in response to Mr. Harry S. Fischer's letter of October 14, 1986, requesting a clarification of 29 CFR 1926.451(i)(8) in our construction standards. Mr. Fisher asked that our response be mailed to you.
29 CFR 1926.451(i)(8) requires that each employee shall be protected by an approved safety belt and attached to a lifeline. The lifeline shall be securely attached to substantial member of the structure (not scaffold), or to securely rigged lines which shall safely suspend the employee in case of a fall. We interpret the above mentioned requirement to mean that each employee must have an approved life belt and lifeline. 29 CFR 1926.451(i)(8) does not allow two or more employees to use a common lifeline.
If we may be of further assistance, please feel free to call or write.
Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Field Operations

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