People get injured in the workplace mostly due to falls but most falls occur because of people too so fall-related accidents could be reduce or even eliminated through rigorous training, ample warning and sufficient protection. The role of each employee is invaluable in the implementation of an effective fall protection plan in the workplace.
Fall Hazards
It helps to identify the potential fall hazards in job sites in order to determine the corresponding fall protection. Typical hazards include:
– Working at the leading edge of floors, formwork, or roofs
– Leaning over for overhand bricklaying work
– Working near holes or openings
– Walking on elevated ramps or runways
Employer Requirements
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) standard requires construction employers to:
– identify and evaluate fall hazards
– provide fall protection
– train employees
Other fall protection requirements are contained in OSHA but a more task-specific rules for protection must be detailed by the employer in relation to their industry.
Fall Protection Measures
The OSHA requires all employers to protect their workers from all fall hazards and falling objects. The following are systems and measures that constitute a working fall protection program: Guardrail systems, Safety Net systems, Personal Fall Arrest systems, Positioning Device systems, Controlled Access Zones and Hole Covers.
Guardrail systems
A guardrail system is designed to keep people or vehicles from (in most cases unintentionally) straying into dangerous or off-limits areas. Below are the OSHA standards of a guardrail system:
– The top edge height of top rails must be between 39 inches and 45 inches above
the walking/ working level
– Midrails, screens, mesh, or intermediate vertical members are needed when there is no wall or parapet wall at least 21-inches high
– Steel or plastic banding cannot be used as top rails or midrails
– If wire rope is used for top rails, it must be flagged with high-visibility material at least every 6 feet
Safety Net Systems
Safety nets must be installed as close as possible under the walking/working surface, but never more than 30 feet below the surface.
– When nets are used on bridges, the potential fall area from the walking/working surface to the net must be unobstructed
– Safety nets must have sufficient clearance under them
– Safety nets must be capable of absorbing an impact force equal to the standard’s specified drop test
Personal fall arrest systems
A personal fall arrest system is used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, a body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations of these.
The OSHA requires employers on the application of and performance criteria for personal fall arrest systems, several of which are:
– Connectors, dee-rings, and snaphooks must meet the standard’s design and strength requirements
– Lanyards and vertical lifelines must meet the standard’s minimum breaking strength requirements
– When vertical lifelines are used, each employee must be attached to a separate lifeline
– Limit the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds when used with a body harness
– Be rigged so that an employee cannot free fall more than 6 feet
– Be rigged so that an employee will not contact any lower level
– Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit the employee’s maximum deceleration distance to 3.5 feet
Positioning device systems 
A positioning device is a body belt or body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, and work with both hands free while leaning.
– Positioning devices are to be rigged so that an employee cannot free fall more than 2 feet
– Must be secured to an anchorage capable of supporting:
at least twice the potential impact load of an employee’s fall; or
3,000 pounds, whichever is greater
– Positioning device systems must be inspected before each use
– Body belts and components must only be used as part of a positioning device system—they cannot be used to hoist materials
Controlled access zones
The fall protection policy should identify areas or activities where fall protection is required. These include, but are not limited to:
– unprotected sides and edges
– hoist areas
– holes
– wall openings
– formwork and reinforcing steel
– ramps, runways, and other walkways
– excavations (protection from falling into excavations greater that 6-feet deep only)
– dangerous equipment
– overhand bricklaying and related work
– roofing work
– leading edge work
– precast concrete erection
Hole Covers
Job sites commonly have open areas that could be potential for fall hazards, thus hole covers form part of OSHA regulations on workplace safety. As per fall protection standards, employees
must be protected from falling into or through holes; tripping in, or stepping into or through holes, and objects falling through holes. Some basic guidelines:
– Covers located where there is vehicular traffic must be able to support at least twice the maximum axle load of the largest vehicle expected to cross over the cover
– All other covers must be able to support at least twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may cross over the cover at any one time
– Covers must be color coded or marked with the word “HOLE” or “COVER” to
provide a warning
– Employees must be protected from falling out or or through wall openings
An accident-free workplace is only possible when the employer lays the necessary groundwork for a fall protection policy and when employees are fully cooperative.
Image credit:
employee safety- http://mrg.bz/Wr4qj2
positioning device: http://www.elcosh.org/record/document/1680/51.jpg
