Construction (29 CFR 1926)

Keeping Clear of the Load

Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05

29 CFR 1926.1425

29 CFR 1926.1425 requires keeping employees clear of suspended and moving crane loads. Hoisting routes that minimize workers' exposure to loads must be used where available, and while a load is rigged and being lifted, workers must be kept out from under the load and out of the fall zone, with only narrow exceptions (such as employees engaged in hooking, unhooking, or guiding the load, or in the initial connection of a load to a component).

29 CFR 1926.1425 at a glance

The rule: Keep employees clear of suspended and moving loads
Routing: Use hoisting routes that minimize workers' exposure to loads, where available
Fall zone: Keep workers out from under the load and out of the fall zone
Narrow exceptions: Employees hooking/unhooking/guiding, or making the initial connection
Hazard addressed: Struck-by a falling or swinging load
Max penalty (2026): $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 per willful

What 29 CFR 1926.1425 requires (plain English)

29 CFR 1926.1425 protects employees from being struck by crane loads. Its first requirement is a routing rule: where available, hoisting routes that minimize the exposure of employees to hoisted loads must be used, to the extent consistent with public safety. In other words, plan the lift path so loads do not travel over people.

The section then restricts who may be in the fall zone. While a load is rigged and being lifted, the employer must keep employees from being under the load and out of the fall zone (the area in which the load or rigging could fall). Only limited exceptions apply (for example, employees engaged in hooking, unhooking, or guiding a load, and those needed for the initial connection of a load to a component) and even then, only where the work cannot be done otherwise, with additional precautions.

The fall zone concept is central: it is not just directly beneath the load but the area the load or its parts could reach if something fails or the load swings. 1926.1425 works with the rigging requirements to reduce the chance a load falls and to ensure no one is in the way if it does. Struck-by-load is one of the leading crane fatality types, and keeping clear is its primary control.

The regulatory text

“Where available, hoisting routes that minimize the exposure of employees to hoisted loads must be used, to the extent consistent with public safety.”

29 CFR 1926.1425(a)

Key facts about 29 CFR 1926.1425

Hoisting routes must minimize employees' exposure to loads where available (1926.1425(a)).
Workers must be kept out from under the load and out of the fall zone during lifts.
The fall zone is the area the load or rigging could reach if it falls or swings.
Only narrow exceptions allow workers near the load (hooking, unhooking, guiding, initial connection).
Struck-by a falling or swinging load is a leading crane fatality type.
Routing and fall-zone control are the primary defenses against struck-by-load.
It works with the rigging and operation requirements of Subpart CC.

Scope: who 29 CFR 1926.1425 applies to

Regulatory framework: Construction (29 CFR 1926)
Citation reference: 29 CFR 1926.1425
Enforcement status: In force and enforced
Jurisdiction: Federal OSHA (29 State-Plan jurisdictions may be stricter)

State-Plan states (e.g. California, Washington, Michigan) operate OSHA-approved programs that must be at least as effective as federal OSHA and frequently impose higher penalties or additional requirements. Confirm the rule as adopted in your state.

Key requirements of 29 CFR 1926.1425

#	Employer obligation
1	No workers under suspended loads
2	Keep clear of crane swing radius
3	Use tag lines to control loads
4	Exceptions only with specific safety measures

Summarized from the text of 29 CFR 1926.1425. Always read the full regulation for the binding language.

Common Keeping Clear of Load violations

Deficiencies OSHA cites under 29 CFR 1926.1425 include the ones below, in no particular order. Distinct deficiencies can be cited as separate items, and each serious item carries up to $16,550 (2026). Broader per-instance stacking exists but is a discretionary, case-by-case OSHA enforcement policy, not an automatic multiplier.

Employees positioned under a suspended load or in the fall zone during a lift (1926.1425(b)/(d)).
Not using a hoisting route that minimizes exposure to loads (1926.1425(a)).
Routing loads over workers when an alternative path was available (1926.1425(a)).
Exceeding the narrow exceptions for who may be near the load (1926.1425(c)/(e)).
Failing to keep the fall zone clear as the load moves (1926.1425).

The "fall zone" is bigger than the spot directly under the load

A common misjudgment is thinking "keep clear" only means don't stand directly beneath the hook. The fall zone under 1926.1425 is broader: it is the area within which the load, or a part of it, could fall or swing if the rigging fails, the load shifts, or the crane moves, which extends outward, not just straight down. A worker standing to the side but within reach of a swinging or toppling load is still in the fall zone. The narrow exceptions (hooking, unhooking, guiding, initial connection) let a minimum number of workers be near the load only when necessary and with precautions: they are not a license for a crew to work under or beside suspended loads. Underestimating the fall zone is how bystanders get struck.

What OSHA inspectors look for

A compliance officer checks that workers are not positioned under suspended loads or in the fall zone during lifts, and that hoisting routes were chosen to minimize exposure. Workers standing or working beneath a suspended load, a leading cause of struck-by fatalities, is the classic finding.

Example: how a violation is cited

A rigging crew works directly beneath a load as it is hoisted over them to reach the next bay; a sling fails and the load falls on them. OSHA cites 1926.1425 for allowing employees under a suspended load and not using a route that minimizes exposure, with penalties from $16,550, often elevated after a struck-by fatality.

Illustrative example, not a specific OSHA case.

Keeping Clear of Load compliance checklist

Use this to evaluate your compliance with 29 CFR 1926.1425. Each item is a key requirement OSHA may verify during an inspection.

Plan hoisting routes to minimize workers' exposure to loads.
Keep employees out from under the load and out of the fall zone during lifts.
Treat the fall zone as the full area a load could fall or swing into, not just straight down.
Limit workers near the load to those hooking, unhooking, guiding, or making the initial connection.
Add precautions when workers must be near the load under the exceptions.
Coordinate with the signal person and operator to keep the path and fall zone clear.

2026 penalties for 29 CFR 1926.1425

Maximums set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d). 2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. The 2025 OSHA penalty levels remain in effect for 2026; OSHA made no inflation adjustment for 2026. 29 CFR 1903.15 identifies January 15, 2025 as the effective reference for these amounts, while OSHA's public penalties page currently references penalties assessed after Jan. 15, 2026.

Violation type	Minimum	Maximum	When it applies
Serious	$1,085	$16,550	Substantial probability of death or serious physical harm.
Other-Than-Serious	$0	$16,550	Relates to safety/health but unlikely to cause death or serious harm.
Willful	$11,823	$165,514	Intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard of the requirement.
Repeated	$4,256	$165,514	A substantially similar violation cited within the last 5 years.
Failure to Abate	None	$16,550/day	up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6)

Keeping-clear violations are cited after struck-by incidents and are frequently serious or willful. Serious violations reach $16,550 and willful or repeat violations $165,514.

Maximums and the willful minimum are set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d); the serious and repeated minimums are OSHA policy floors from its annual penalty adjustment memo. OSHA applies gravity-based and size, good-faith and history reductions (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Estimates only, not legal advice.

The business case for Keeping Clear of Load compliance

Being struck by a falling or swinging crane load is one of the most common ways crane work kills. Loads drop when rigging fails, swing when the crane moves, or shift unexpectedly, and anyone underneath has no chance. 1926.1425 keeps workers out of the fall zone and routes loads to minimize exposure, which is the single most effective defense against struck-by-load fatalities.

Free compliance tools for 29 CFR 1926.1425

Crane Lift Plan Calculator Job Hazard Analysis Builder Pre-Task Plan Generator

Keeping Clear of Load penalties by state

Penalties and enforcement vary by state. State-Plan states may impose higher penalties and additional requirements beyond federal 29 CFR 1926.1425.

Alabama Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia

View all 50 states + DC →

Frequently asked questions about 29 CFR 1926.1425

Can workers be under a suspended crane load?

Generally no. 1926.1425 requires keeping employees from under the load and out of the fall zone while a load is rigged and being lifted. Only narrow exceptions apply (such as employees hooking, unhooking, or guiding the load, or making the initial connection) and even then only when necessary and with added precautions. Routing loads over workers is to be avoided.

What is the fall zone in crane work?

The fall zone is the area in which a load or part of a load could fall or swing if the rigging fails, the load shifts, or the crane moves. Under 1926.1425 it is more than the spot directly beneath the hook: it extends outward to wherever a falling or swinging load could reach. Workers must be kept out of it during lifts.

Does 1926.1425 affect how I plan a lift?

Yes. It requires using hoisting routes that minimize employees' exposure to loads, where available and consistent with public safety. That means planning the load path so it does not travel over people, and coordinating the operator and signal person to keep the route and fall zone clear. Route selection is part of the lift plan.

Who is allowed near a suspended load?

Only a limited set of workers whose tasks require it (those hooking, unhooking, or guiding the load, and those needed for the initial connection of a load to a component) and only when the work cannot be done otherwise and precautions are taken. Everyone else must stay out from under the load and out of the fall zone.

Regulatory history of 29 CFR 1926.1425

The keeping-clear and fall-zone requirements in 1926.1425 took effect with Subpart CC on November 8, 2010 (75 FR 47906). By defining the fall zone and restricting who may be under or near a suspended load, the standard sharpened the older, more general prohibition on working under loads into a specific, enforceable rule aimed at struck-by-load fatalities.

Related glossary terms

Key terms that appear in 29 CFR 1926.1425, each with a full plain-English explainer.

Struck-By Caught-In/Between Competent Person Qualified Person

Related guides & articles

Crane & Rigging Safety: OSHA Construction Guide Fall Protection in Construction: OSHA Guide 2026

Related OSHA standards

29 CFR 1926.251

Rigging Equipment

29 CFR 1926.1436

Derricks

29 CFR 1926.1400

Crane Rule Scope

29 CFR 1926.1404

Crane Assembly/Disassembly

Primary sources

OSHA figures on this page are imported from HazComFast's verified regulatory module (verified 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register).

This page is an educational summary, not legal advice. OSHA standards and penalty amounts change; confirm requirements against the current regulation and your applicable State-Plan before acting.

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OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.

Serious Violation

$16,550

per violation (max)

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