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March 07, 2022
Fall protection (general requirements) consistently tops OSHA’s annual list1 of the most common safety violations cited across industries.
Other fall-related violations, like those related to ladders and scaffolding, are typically not far behind – in 2021, they came in third and fourth, respectively.
Falls are one of OSHA’s Fatal Four and among the most common causes of on-the-job injury and death. Even falls from a short distance can cause serious injury.
With the right protective equipment, training and fall protection systems, it’s possible for businesses to mitigate or even eliminate fall risks on their worksites. Mistakes in fall protection mean that workers can be left vulnerable, even with protections in place.
These are five of the most common fall protection mistakes, why they happen, and how businesses can avoid them when developing fall protection systems. With the right strategy, it is entirely possible to make falls much less likely, even on sites where the exposure of workers to heights is part of business as usual.
In some cases, the gaps in a site’s fall protection systems are particularly large. Basic protection may not be offered at all, potentially exposing workers to serious fall risks.
OSHA guidance is likely the best place to begin when determining the minimum necessary fall protection for a given site. According to OSHA requirements on fall protection2, employers must do the following to protect employees from falls, slips and related hazards:
● Provide fall protection systems to employees working at elevations of four feet in general industry, six feet in construction and eight feet in longshoring operations.
● (For employees working over dangerous equipment and machinery, fall protection must be provided regardless of height.)
● Guard every hole into which a worker could walk, using protective equipment like railings or floor hole covers.
● Provide a guard rail and toe-board around all elevated and open-sided platforms and floors.
● Provide the same protections around dangerous equipment and machinery.
● Provide working conditions free of known dangers.
● Keep floors in work areas both clean and dry.
● Source and provide fall protection PPE to workers at no cost.
● Train workers on fall protection and hazards.
Additionally, certain hazards may require the use of specific safety equipment – like safety nets, harnesses and lines, stair railings or handrails. Many businesses also provide protective hand equipment and clothing.
These items may not directly contribute to a site’s fall safety systems, but they can make these systems safer to use while also protecting workers from other hazards.
An audit of site safety will help employers understand how fall protection systems currently work, and where gaps in existing systems may need to be addressed.
This review will help site owners and managers ensure that basic protections are in place. A walkthrough can also help this team identify other potential safety hazards3 – like electrocution risks or hazardous materials, both of which are common construction site hazards.
These essential site protections can be grouped into three broad categories – planning, providing, and training.
Planning involves the review of the site and fall hazards to determine which protection must be offered. Providing means the supply of that protective equipment to employees. Training ensures that employees know how to identify and mitigate fall hazards, as well as how to use, install and disassemble these systems properly.
Missing any one of these three basic categories can render on-site fall protection systems ineffective or even useless. Ensuring that all three are met will mean that a company has provided the basic fall protection that will lay the foundation for effective on-site fall safety.
2. Systems aren’t Properly Maintained
On some sites, fall protection systems do exist – but they are not maintained, inspected, or repaired with any regularity.
While these systems should offer protection, normal wear and tear – like a rusted D-ring or worn stitching in a harness – can cause essential system equipment to fail suddenly during a fall, meaning that it will not provide fall protection when workers need it most.
Regular inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair can ensure that these systems provide protection – or, if a piece of equipment is on the verge of failure, workers can identify it and remove it from service.
Effective maintenance will require employee buy-in. Ideally, essential protection systems should be inspected before every use to ensure that the tool, harness, anchor, or other PPE item is functioning correctly and not damaged.
Employers that want to ensure their equipment is kept in the best condition possible should follow basic OSHA requirements for safety equipment4, as well as best practices for inspecting and testing that equipment.
OSHA specifically recommends that workers should inspect their own harnesses before each use for signs of visible wear, deterioration, and damage. If a system or piece of equipment shows any of these defects, the worker must discard it.
A system or procedure for disposing of damaged PPE and receiving a new or non-damaged replacement can help streamline this process. These systems can also ensure that damaged items are captured and stored properly for repair – rather than discarded – if repair is a possibility.
A five-step inspection process will help workers catch many of the common issues that fall protection systems develop over time:
1. First, workers should inspect metal components – like D-rings – for signs of wear, deterioration, or damage.
2. Next, the workers should check for loose stitching and webbing. Stitching holds harnesses and other essential pieces of equipment together, and stitching that is starting to fall apart could make a piece of PPE dangerous.
3. Workers should then inspect ropes for frayed edges, loose strands, and other signs of damage.
4. In the event of a fall, workers should inspect personal arrest systems and similar equipment for damage.
5. Once this inspection is complete, workers should discard and repair or replace damaged equipment as needed.
OSHA also outlines specific requirements for how fall protection equipment must be tested. These requirements are slightly different for construction compared to general industry.
The most significant difference is in the length of free fall the positioning system allows.
For general industry, with the exception of window cleaners, the positioning system must pass a 250-pound four-foot drop test. Fall arrest systems must prevent a six-foot free fall.
Construction industry requirements are somewhat different. Instead, workers must have a means of stopping their fall or preventing it whenever they work six feet above a lower level. The same protection must also be provided to employees or contractors working above dangerous equipment.
In certain cases, a site may be exempted from fall protection requirements in certain cases – like when workers inspect a site prior to the installation or after the removal of fall protection systems.
While safety or body belts may be used as part of a suite of fall protection equipment – like a positioning device that prevents workers from falling more than two feet – these devices can’t be a worker’s only means of personal fall arrest.
Reactive maintenance can appear more cost-effective than preventative maintenance, but there are long-term costs associated with the inspection or repair of fall protection systems only as needed.
Effective maintenance strategies will be preventative. Ideally, there should be employees dedicated to a regular and thorough inspection of all PPE currently in use.
If workers spot signs of wear or damage during these inspections, many OEMs offer repair or replacement services that will allow a business to service or replace damaged components and equipment.
Other fall-related violations, like those related to ladders and scaffolding, are typically not far behind – in 2021, they came in third and fourth, respectively.
Falls are one of OSHA’s Fatal Four and among the most common causes of on-the-job injury and death. Even falls from a short distance can cause serious injury.
With the right protective equipment, training and fall protection systems, it’s possible for businesses to mitigate or even eliminate fall risks on their worksites. Mistakes in fall protection mean that workers can be left vulnerable, even with protections in place.
“with the right protective equipment, training and fall protection systems, it’s possible to eliminate fall risks on worksites”
These are five of the most common fall protection mistakes, why they happen, and how businesses can avoid them when developing fall protection systems. With the right strategy, it is entirely possible to make falls much less likely, even on sites where the exposure of workers to heights is part of business as usual.
1. Lack of Fall Protection Systems
In some cases, the gaps in a site’s fall protection systems are particularly large. Basic protection may not be offered at all, potentially exposing workers to serious fall risks.
OSHA guidance is likely the best place to begin when determining the minimum necessary fall protection for a given site. According to OSHA requirements on fall protection2, employers must do the following to protect employees from falls, slips and related hazards:
● Provide fall protection systems to employees working at elevations of four feet in general industry, six feet in construction and eight feet in longshoring operations.
● (For employees working over dangerous equipment and machinery, fall protection must be provided regardless of height.)
● Guard every hole into which a worker could walk, using protective equipment like railings or floor hole covers.
● Provide a guard rail and toe-board around all elevated and open-sided platforms and floors.
● Provide the same protections around dangerous equipment and machinery.
● Provide working conditions free of known dangers.
● Keep floors in work areas both clean and dry.
● Source and provide fall protection PPE to workers at no cost.
● Train workers on fall protection and hazards.
Additionally, certain hazards may require the use of specific safety equipment – like safety nets, harnesses and lines, stair railings or handrails. Many businesses also provide protective hand equipment and clothing.
These items may not directly contribute to a site’s fall safety systems, but they can make these systems safer to use while also protecting workers from other hazards.
An audit of site safety will help employers understand how fall protection systems currently work, and where gaps in existing systems may need to be addressed.
“there should be employees dedicated to a regular and thorough inspection of all PPE currently in use”
This review will help site owners and managers ensure that basic protections are in place. A walkthrough can also help this team identify other potential safety hazards3 – like electrocution risks or hazardous materials, both of which are common construction site hazards.
These essential site protections can be grouped into three broad categories – planning, providing, and training.
Planning involves the review of the site and fall hazards to determine which protection must be offered. Providing means the supply of that protective equipment to employees. Training ensures that employees know how to identify and mitigate fall hazards, as well as how to use, install and disassemble these systems properly.
Missing any one of these three basic categories can render on-site fall protection systems ineffective or even useless. Ensuring that all three are met will mean that a company has provided the basic fall protection that will lay the foundation for effective on-site fall safety.
2. Systems aren’t Properly Maintained
On some sites, fall protection systems do exist – but they are not maintained, inspected, or repaired with any regularity.
While these systems should offer protection, normal wear and tear – like a rusted D-ring or worn stitching in a harness – can cause essential system equipment to fail suddenly during a fall, meaning that it will not provide fall protection when workers need it most.
Regular inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair can ensure that these systems provide protection – or, if a piece of equipment is on the verge of failure, workers can identify it and remove it from service.
Inspection of Equipment
Effective maintenance will require employee buy-in. Ideally, essential protection systems should be inspected before every use to ensure that the tool, harness, anchor, or other PPE item is functioning correctly and not damaged.
Employers that want to ensure their equipment is kept in the best condition possible should follow basic OSHA requirements for safety equipment4, as well as best practices for inspecting and testing that equipment.
OSHA specifically recommends that workers should inspect their own harnesses before each use for signs of visible wear, deterioration, and damage. If a system or piece of equipment shows any of these defects, the worker must discard it.
A system or procedure for disposing of damaged PPE and receiving a new or non-damaged replacement can help streamline this process. These systems can also ensure that damaged items are captured and stored properly for repair – rather than discarded – if repair is a possibility.
A five-step inspection process will help workers catch many of the common issues that fall protection systems develop over time:
1. First, workers should inspect metal components – like D-rings – for signs of wear, deterioration, or damage.
2. Next, the workers should check for loose stitching and webbing. Stitching holds harnesses and other essential pieces of equipment together, and stitching that is starting to fall apart could make a piece of PPE dangerous.
3. Workers should then inspect ropes for frayed edges, loose strands, and other signs of damage.
4. In the event of a fall, workers should inspect personal arrest systems and similar equipment for damage.
5. Once this inspection is complete, workers should discard and repair or replace damaged equipment as needed.
Requirements for Testing Equipment
OSHA also outlines specific requirements for how fall protection equipment must be tested. These requirements are slightly different for construction compared to general industry.
The most significant difference is in the length of free fall the positioning system allows.
For general industry, with the exception of window cleaners, the positioning system must pass a 250-pound four-foot drop test. Fall arrest systems must prevent a six-foot free fall.
Construction industry requirements are somewhat different. Instead, workers must have a means of stopping their fall or preventing it whenever they work six feet above a lower level. The same protection must also be provided to employees or contractors working above dangerous equipment.
In certain cases, a site may be exempted from fall protection requirements in certain cases – like when workers inspect a site prior to the installation or after the removal of fall protection systems.
While safety or body belts may be used as part of a suite of fall protection equipment – like a positioning device that prevents workers from falling more than two feet – these devices can’t be a worker’s only means of personal fall arrest.
Preventive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance can appear more cost-effective than preventative maintenance, but there are long-term costs associated with the inspection or repair of fall protection systems only as needed.
Effective maintenance strategies will be preventative. Ideally, there should be employees dedicated to a regular and thorough inspection of all PPE currently in use.
If workers spot signs of wear or damage during these inspections, many OEMs offer repair or replacement services that will allow a business to service or replace damaged components and equipment.
SOURCE:
https://www.hsimagazine.com/article/fall-protection-mistakes-to-avoid/
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