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Fall Protection: How to Protect Your Workers

Failure to plan is planning to fall.

A Little Background…

Who is                  ?

Why do they exist?

How do they come up with the standards?

Are the standards enforceable?

StatisticsOf the 4386 workplace fatalities in the US in 2014 (most recent data available), nearly 899 were in construction.  Of those, nearly 40% were due to falls.

Falls being at the top of the list is nothing new and yet…

The number one cited regulation by Federal OSHA: Falls, Construction.

Cost Time

Knowledge

Cost• Direct cost of equipment• Cost of training• Lost revenue in lack of production

Cost – What They DON’T See• Saved $ from avoided injuries• Saved $ from avoided premium increases• Saved $ in lack of down‐time and training of training of new personnel due to injury

TimeLost production from use of equipmentTime taken to determine proper solutionTime lost to training

Time – What They DON’T SeeTime saved as workers can work with confidenceTime saved if solutions are planned ahead of timeTime saved on future projects when using trained workers

KnowledgeUnaware training is requiredNot knowledgeable in existing requirements / regulationsUnaware of existing technologies and solutions

So, What are Our Options?

Passive Active

PassiveSHOULD BE easy to useLittle to no employee action in order to complyNothing to wear – so no discomfortCan be more or less cost effective depending on the situation

Why Doesn’t It Work?Don’t understand the requirements, leading to insufficient protection, i.e. hole coversDon’t understand what needs to be protectedRails built / assembled improperly

Skylights – Big Offender!Skylights are just big holes.Most not strong enough to support weight of a person.Most cages are for debris protection, giving false sense of security.Must be treated the same way you’d treat a roof edge.Particular hazard to firefighters…especially corrugated roofs.

Hole CoversCovered with nearest material, if anything at all.False belief that if it’s not big enough to fall through, it doesn’t need to be covered.When proper cover is attempted, insufficient strength or improperly marked (if at all)Marking is important!

Active

PFAS – Personal Fall Arrest SystemsHow many parts?

Anchor PointHarnessLanyard

• Rescue Plan

Anchor PointsMost difficult part of the process5000 lbs?How do I know?Who can tell me?

HarnessFull Body Harness – not body beltsWhere does this go wrong?

Wrong fitIncorrectly adjustedFailure to inspectWrong materialDiscomfort

LanyardsExpansion Packs

Rip‐stitchGlue packs“Bungee” style

SRLsPositioning Lanyards

LanyardsWhere does this go wrong?

Wrong lengthWrong materialImproperly used: Swing Hazards & Fall Distance

Swing Hazard – Pendulum Effect30 degree safe zone!

30

Anchor

30

Measuring Fall DistanceLanyards are not a one‐size‐fits‐all solutionDifferent lanyards for different tasksWithout calculating fall distance, a lanyard could be offering a false sense of securityIf not planned ahead of time, good probability of error

Measuring Fall DistanceSag in anchor system @1‐2’

Length of lanyard 6’

Length of expansion3.5’

Stretch in harness@1’

Length of body below D‐ring@4‐5’

Distance required if using a 6’ lanyard with a deceleration device:

18.5’

Rescue PlanOr as I call it: Why the heck was there a picture of a notebook on that first slide?Most often forgotten portion of fall arrest, yet just as criticalSuspension trauma occurs in minutesREFLOW SYNDROMESafety straps – buy some time…IF….

Rescue PlanSo what’s the plan?Just going to wing it?  Somebody will pull him up?  Aerial lift?  Ladder?  

Rescue Plan

When am I required to have fall protection?

Construction: 6’ ‐ EXCEPTIONSLongshoring: 5’General Industry: 4’

Platforms, walkways, roofs, machinery, boom lifts?Scaffolding? Scissor lifts? 

REMEMBER:Plan!Plan!Plan!

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