In Kansas, a serious violation of 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) carries a maximum penalty of $16,550 per violation in 2026, rising to $165,514 for a willful or repeat violation. Fall Protection is enforced for private construction employers by federal OSHA.
29 CFR 1926.501 · Kansas
Fall Protection Requirements in Kansas
Fall Protection in Kansas: 2026 penalties, who enforces 29 CFR 1926.501, the paragraphs cited and free tools.
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
KansasConstruction (29 CFR 1926)Federal OSHA Jurisdiction
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 174 times in Kansas construction (23.4% of its construction citations there, the 2nd most-cited standard there). The paragraph cited most was 1926.501(b)(13), residential construction, with 158 citations.
174
1926.501 citations in Kansas construction, FY2025
(b)(13)
paragraph cited most in Kansas (158 citations)
10.5
fatal work injuries per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, Kansas, 2024 (BLS)
Federal OSHA in Kansas: 29 CFR 1926.501, FY2025
Counted · 2026-09-26174
citations of 29 CFR 1926.501 in 173 inspections
$1,365,775
penalties, current amounts ($1,528,704 as first proposed)
23.4%
of the 743 federal construction citations in Kansas
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 174 times in inspections of Kansas construction employers. It ranked second of the 36 standards cited in them. By classification: 125 serious, 47 repeat, 2 other-than-serious. Most-cited paragraphs: 1926.501(b)(13) (158), 1926.501(b)(1) (11), 1926.501(b)(7)(ii) (1).
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). data.dol.gov
What federal OSHA is targeting in Kansas
Kansas has no state OSHA plan for private-sector work, so there is no state rule to read. What differs here is which hazards federal OSHA schedules inspections for, as set out in published emphasis directives.
Regional Emphasis Program (REP) on Falls, Scaffolds, and Electrocutions from Overhead Power Lines in Construction
KCM-CPL-04-00-002 · Kansas City Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“This instruction applies to Region VII Area Offices.”
The directive states its own weight: the predecessor program "accounted for 44% of all safety inspections, 54% of all construction inspections, and 26% of all inspections" across Region VII in fiscal years 2019 to 2024. It also records that 28% of fatal and catastrophic federal enforcement incidents in the region between October 2018 and June 2024 were in construction. In Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, more than half of all construction inspections come from this one program.
Kansas Local Emphasis Program for Commercial and Residential Construction
KCM-CPL-04-00-007 · Kansas City Regional Office · effective October 1, 2024
“The Instruction applies to the Wichita Area Office.”
Kansas has a construction program written for it alone, run out of the Wichita area office, covering commercial and residential worksites. It sits on top of the region-wide falls, scaffolds and electrocutions program rather than replacing it, so a Kansas construction site is inside two programmed-inspection programs at once.
Falls and work deaths in Kansas, 2024
Kansas recorded 56 fatal work injuries in 2024, up from 53 in 2023. Falls, slips and trips caused 6 of them (11%). Construction accounted for 10, 3 of them from falls, slips and trips.
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Kansas, 2024
How Kansas Enforces 29 CFR 1926.501
Kansas has no State Plan, so federal OSHA has jurisdiction. 29 CFR 1926.501 is enforced by U.S. Department of Labor compliance officers using standard federal procedures and the federal penalty maximums.
In Kansas, the FY2025 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 went most often to Roofing Contractors (116) and Framing Contractors (49). A single inspection can produce several per-instance citations. Recurring self-audits against 29 CFR 1926.501, before an officer arrives, are the most reliable defense.
Help and oversight in Kansas
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Kansas, the program is Kansas Department of Labor (Division of Industrial Safety & Health). OSHA describes it as “Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs.” It is separate from OSHA enforcement; the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Wichita Area Office (Wichita).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Kansas Penalty Amounts for 29 CFR 1926.501 (2026)
Verified · 2026-10-05| Violation type | 2026 maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Willful | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Repeat | $165,514 | Federal max · 29 CFR 1903.15(d) |
| Failure to abate | $16,550/day | up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6) |
Kansas applies the federal OSHA maximums. Amounts are ceilings per violation. Federal OSHA reduces the proposed penalty for employer size, good faith and history (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch. 6). There was no inflation increase for 2026: the 2025 amounts remain in effect (OMB Memo M-26-11).
Key Fall Protection Requirements 29 CFR 1926.501
- Provide fall protection at 6 feet above a lower level: a guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest system
- Protect workers at unprotected sides/edges, leading edges, hoist areas, ramps, and excavation edges (1926.501(b))
- Cover or guard every floor hole and skylight: protection from falling through above 6 ft, and from stepping in at any height
- Related duties under neighboring standards: system criteria 1926.502, training 1926.503, scaffold fall protection 1926.451(g)
Who enforces it in Kansas: Federal OSHA inspects private construction employers; Kansas has no State Plan.
The compliance checklist, the paragraphs OSHA cites nationally and what an inspector checks under 29 CFR 1926.501 are on the 29 CFR 1926.501 page.
Most-Cited Fall Protection Paragraphs in Kansas, FY2025
Federal OSHA issued 174 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Kansas construction employers in FY2025. The paragraphs cited most, with the official text. A serious violation carries up to $16,550.
- 1
1926.501(b)(13) Residential construction. 158 citations
“Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall …”
- 2
1926.501(b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. 11 citations
“Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level …”
- 3
1926.501(b)(10) Roofing work on Low-slope roofs. 1 citation
“Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each employee engaged in roofing activities on low-slope roofs, with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 m) …”
- 4
1926.501(b)(15) Walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed. 1 citation
“Except as provided in § 1926.500(a)(2) or in § 1926.501 (b)(1) through (b)(14), each employee on a walking/working surface 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels …”
- 5
1926.501(b)(2)(ii) 1 citation
“Each employee on a walking/working surface 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level where leading edges are under construction, but who is not engaged in …”
- 6
1926.501(b)(4) Holes. 1 citation
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (NAICS 23), by the paragraph cited. Paragraph text: eCFR, current as of September 24, 2026. data.dol.gov
Kansas Safety & Enforcement Profile
26,559
Federal construction citations (national, FY2025)
743 of them in Kansas (HazComFast count)
Federal OSHA
Enforces private construction
- Construction trades inspected most in Kansas, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (137), Framing Contractors (71) and Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (20), out of 304 inspections opened (federal OSHA and State Plan combined).
- Cited most under 29 CFR 1926.501 in Kansas, FY2025: Roofing Contractors (116), Framing Contractors (49) and New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (2), of 174 citations.
- Construction fatality rate in Kansas, 2024: 10.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, 12th highest of the 40 states BLS published (all industries: 4.1).
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, federal OSHA and State Plan combined, grouped by the inspected employer's 2022 NAICS industry. HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: citations issued in FY2025 to construction employers (NAICS 23), grouped by the cited employer's 2022 NAICS industry. Industry names are the Census Bureau's 2022 NAICS titles. data.dol.gov · BLS fatality rates by state, 2024
Free Fall Protection Compliance Tools
Fall Protection FAQ for Kansas
Which Kansas construction trades are cited most under Fall Protection?
In FY2025, federal OSHA issued 174 citations under 29 CFR 1926.501 to Kansas construction employers, most often to Roofing Contractors (116), Framing Contractors (49) and New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (2) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data, by the cited employer's NAICS industry). Federal OSHA inspects these employers directly, since Kansas has no state plan covering the private sector. For context, federal OSHA issued 743 citations across 260 inspections of Kansas construction employers in FY2025 (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). Companies in these trades should self-audit against 29 CFR 1926.501 on a recurring basis.
How often is Fall Protection cited on Kansas jobsites?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break Kansas out, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do: in FY2025, federal OSHA issued 743 citations across 260 inspections of Kansas construction employers, 174 of them under 29 CFR 1926.501 (HazComFast count). A Fall Protection citation in Kansas can come from any inspection: programmed, complaint-driven or post-accident. Kansas's fatality figures are shown above.
Who enforces fall protection (1926.501) on Kansas construction sites?
Federal OSHA. Kansas has no State Plan, so a U.S. Department of Labor compliance officer from OSHA's Wichita Area Office inspects and cites 29 CFR 1926.501 directly at the federal penalty maximums. Fall protection (1926.501) was the standard federal OSHA cited most in construction inspections in FY2025.
At what height does OSHA require fall protection in Kansas construction?
Six feet. Under 29 CFR 1926.501, construction employers must protect workers from falls to a lower level of 6 feet or more with guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. In Kansas, federal OSHA enforces the 6-foot trigger directly.
Can I get free OSHA help in Kansas without an inspection?
Yes. OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program in Kansas is Kansas Department of Labor (Division of Industrial Safety & Health). OSHA describes it this way: "Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs." Consultations are separate from OSHA enforcement, and the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
How often does federal OSHA cite 29 CFR 1926.501 in Kansas construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Fall Protection) 174 times in 173 inspections of Kansas construction employers, with $1,365,775 in penalties at current amounts ($1,528,704 as first proposed), 23.4% of the 743 citations those inspections produced. It ranked second of the 36 standards cited. (HazComFast count from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement data, retrieved 2026-09-26.)
Fall Protection Guides & Resources
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Related standards
Fall Protection in Other States
14 other state plans write a rule of their own for 29 CFR 1926.501 rather than adopting the federal text unchanged. Those are listed first. Compare all of them side by side.
Alaska29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by 8 AAC 61.1010(c), with 8 AAC 61.1150 for steel erectionCalifornia8 CCR §1670(a), with §1621(a) for railings and §1730 for roofingown maxHawaiiHAR §12-110-3, with the definition of "infeasible" at §12-110-50(b)(1)Kentucky803 KAR 2:412own maxMaryland29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by COMAR 09.12.31.01, with COMAR 09.12.32.07own maxMichiganMIOSHA Construction Safety Standard Part 45, R 408.44501 to R 408.44502own maxMinnesota29 CFR 1926.501 as adopted by Minn. R. 5205.0010, subp. 6, with Minn. R. 5207.0250NevadaNRS 618.983 and NRS 618.987 (mandatory OSHA-10 and OSHA-30)
Other OSHA Standards in Kansas
Sources & verification
Penalty amounts and plan-type data were checked on 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register. This page is informational and not legal advice; consult the enforcing agency or counsel for your specific situation.
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