Safety, Codes, and Jobsite Practices
Who enforces safety
New Mexico operates its own occupational safety plan through the Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (NMOHSB), covering private and public employers, applying the 29 CFR 1926 construction standards.
Fall protection
Fall protection is required at 6 feet in construction. On low-slope roofs, the roofing standard permits guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest, or a combination of warning line (set 6 feet back from the edge), safety monitor, and other measures - but the warning-line option is limited to roofs 50 feet or less in width and is not for steep roofs. Steep-slope work requires conventional fall protection.
Access and openings
Ladders extend 3 feet above the landing, are set at a 4:1 angle, and are tied off. Skylights and roof hatches must be guarded or covered before the crew starts.
What inspectors check
Permits and inspections for re-roofs and structural repairs; no third layer of shingles (two maximum); sound, re-nailed decking; roof-covering fire classification; fastening consistent with the design wind speed, which maps to roughly 105–115 mph across much of the state; drip edge and flashing details.
Worked example
Three workers are shingling a 5:12 roof 22 feet above grade on a house 40 feet wide. The fall height exceeds 6 feet and the slope exceeds 4:12, so a warning line is not allowed. The crew needs personal fall arrest with anchors rated 5,000 pounds per worker (or an engineered system), plus a tied-off ladder and covered skylights.
Traps
Measuring 6 feet to the eave rather than to the walking surface; assuming a harness satisfies the rule without a compliant anchor; installing over a wet, delaminated deck to save the customer money; leaving skylight holes open during tear-off.