Personal Fall Protection
Falls are the leading cause of occupational fatalities and disabling injuries in construction in the United States. Each year, over 500 workers die in fall-related accidents and over 300,000 workers suffer a disabling injury. Most of these fatalities and disabling injuries, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), are the result of falls from elevations of six feet or less.
Where a fall hazard exists, there are two acceptable options; (1) eliminate the hazard or (2) provide protection against it.
Ideally, it is best to totally eliminate the hazard.
Falls can take place at any time and during a variety of elevated work tasks. Maintenance, set-up and take-down, roofing, and general carpentry are where the majority of these incidents occur. Other tasks that resulted in falls included painting, welding, sheet metal work, and bricklaying. Most of the fatalities and injuries reported in the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) study could have been avoided by the effective use of fall protection and equipment. Fall protection is any means or system used to protect employees from falling from an elevated walking/working surface. Fall protection involves the elimination, prevention, and/or control of fall hazards.
Whenever feasible, employers should always set up temporary floors, guardrails, toeboards, or other physical barriers to falls instead of having workers rely on tying off and nets for fall protection. When not feasible, personal fall protection or safety nets must be used. No work should proceed unless the necessary fall protection is in place. The use of fall protection can prevent serious injury and save your life.
Fall protection equipment is broadly divided into two categories:
- Fall prevention equipment: Guardrails and coverings at floor openings and safety-interlock gates on elevated platforms are designed to prevent falls. A body harness worn by the worker can also be used to tether him/her to an area away from the fall hazard.
- Fall arrest equipment: This is designed to save the worker if he/she falls. A personal fall arrest system includes a full body harness, a shock absorbing lanyard or rope grab, and a vertical lifeline with a sound anchorage able to support a load of 5000 pounds.
Fall Restraint:
Fall Restraint includes such items as a guardrail or parapet wall. It can also consist of a personal fall restraint system that keeps you from reaching an unprotected “fall” point. Guardrails (on scaffolds, aerial lifts, and on the perimeter of buildings) are considered to be a Fall Restraint type of fall protection.
Fall Arrest:
Fall Arrest STOPS you if you’re falling. If you are at risk for falling 6 feet or more, you must use appropriate fall protection equipment. One type of appropriate fall protection equipment is the personal fall arrest system. The entire personal fall arrest system must be capable of withstanding the tremendous impact forces involved in a fall. A person without protection will free fall 4 feet in 1⁄2 second and 16 feet in 1 second!
Fall Protection DOs:
- Pick an anchorage point that will support 5000 lbs. per worker (enough to support a pickup truck).
- Fall arrest systems should be rigged so employees can’t free fall more than 6 feet (or contact any lower level).
- Tie off above your head. A 6 foot person who ties off at their feet could free-fall as much as 12 feet.
- Place your anchorage directly above/behind your work area to avoid potential swing fall hazards.
- Use the shortest lanyard possible. If using a rope, keep it choked up as much as possible.
- The shorter the tie-off, the shorter the fall.
- Have anchorage points selected by a competent person.
Fall Protection DON’Ts:
- Do not tie off to vent pipes, a wall stud, or a non-structured non-designated area.
- Do not tie a knot in lanyard. This will reduce its strength.
- Do not use water pipes, electrical conduits, light fixtures, or guardrails as anchor points.
- Do not use any lanyards without self-locking snap hooks.
- Do not hook a lanyard back on itself, unless made to do so.
- Do not join multiple lanyards together to reach an anchorage.
- Do not allow more than one worker to tie-off to the same anchorage unless it is designed and approved by an engineer.
- Do not unhook from fall protection while exposed to a fall greater than 6 feet.
- Do not allow someone else to rig your equipment unless you verify that it has been done correctly.
- Do not use an anchorage that is not independent of any anchorage used to support or suspend platforms.
Working safely may get old…but so do those who practice it!!
Thank you, and drive safely everyone.
Now, with all that said, let’s give some recognition to our safest driver of January!
May’s Safe Driver Award:
Vinnie Arcadio
Congratulations to Vinnie for being our Safe Driver of May!
