Why is fall protection important?
Falls are among the most common cases of work related injuries and deaths. It’s necessary that employers set up a workplace that prevents employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations, or into holes in the floor and walls.
How can falls be reduced?
OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry, and eight feet in longshoring operations. OSHA also requires that fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance.
In order to prevent employees from fall injuries, employers must:
-Guard every floor hole in to which a worker can accidentally walk
-Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway
-Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat of acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured
-Other means of fall protection on certain jobs may include: safety harness and line, safety nets, stair railings, and hand rails
OSHA requires employers to :
-Provide danger-free working conditions
-Keep floors in work areas clean and dry
-Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers
-Train workers about job hazards in rhetoric that they can understand
FallTech is holding competent personal fall protection training at Sheffield Safety and Loss Control. Classes are June 22nd and June 23rd from 8AM-4PM. For more information or to register, call us at (773) 525-5532
Sources: OSHA.gov
