Every year 40,000 people around the world become disabled or meet untimely deaths due to fall-related accidents.
As human error is just as much to blame as equipment failure in these kind of accidents, it will be valuable to any organization to give proper training to their workers engaged in working at heights and potentially exposed to such hazards. Trained workers promotes a safety culture and emphasizes the prevention of accidents and fatalities caused by falls.
Fall Prevention
Implementing a fall prevention policy in the workplace is a proactive approach in keeping falls from happening through utilizing guardrails, warning lines, hole covers.
Guardrails 
As per the Infrastructure Safety and Health Association (ISHA) Manual, “guardrails must be installed no more than 30 cm (1 foot) from the open edge. They must be able to withstand all loads specified in the construction regulations.” During hoisting operations, a chain, gate or removable guardrail section must be in place.
Where to Use
– Railings are required at permanent elevated locations from 1.3 meters and above
– Along open edges of roofs and floors
– On scaffolds and other work surfaces
– Around openings in floors, roofs and skylights
Warning Lines
Warning lines consists of ropes, wires or chains that serve as a barrier between a worker and an unprotected edge or any work surface. Workers shall not be allowed in the area between a warning line and a roof edge unless that employee is responsible to work in that area.
Where to Use
– Warning lines should be erected not less than 2 meters from the edge side of the roof work area for workers and 3 meters for perpendicular use.
Hole Covers
Unprotected holes in work surfaces could cause major accidents and injuries and is therefore a significant component in an effective fall protection policy. Covers should be able to support at least twice the weight of employees, equipment and materials that may come across the cover. These should also be secured to prevent displacement and should be color coded or marked with “hole” or “cover”.
Where to Use
– Newly created holes at constructions
– Roadways and vehicular aisles
Image credit:
http://louisvilleladder.us.com/handrail_modular.png
http://www.dricommercial.com/Resources/Image/safetySlideshow-img8(1).jpg
http://www.elcosh.org/record/document/1680/23.jpg