Fall Protection

Safety & Risk Management ServicesUW-Stout

Introduction Falls are the second leading cause of

occupational fatalities and disabling injuries in the United States.

Each year, over 500 workers die in fall- related accidents.

Over 300,000 workers suffer a disabling injury.

Most of these accidents occur from falls from elevations of _____ feet or less.

Fall Protection Requirements 1926.501 Duty to have fall

Protection 1926.502 Fall Protection

systems criteria and practices

1926.501 - Duty to have Fall Protection All fall protection required by this

section shall conform to the criteria set forth in 1926.502

The employer shall determine if the walking/working surfaces on which its employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely.

Duty to have Fall Protection Unprotected sides and edges. Each

employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal & vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6’ or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).

Background The standard identifies 15 areas or

activities where some type of fall protection is needed if the potential fall distance is six feet or greater

Areas/activities covered:

Leading edges (different levels) Hoist areas Holes (including skylights) Ramp, runways & other walkways Excavations Overhead bricklaying & related work Wall openings

Areas/activities covered: Roofing Walking/Working surfaces not

otherwise addressed

Exception The provisions of this sections do

not apply when employees are making an inspection, investigation, or assessment of workplace conditions prior to the actual start of work or after all work has been completed.

Leading Edge Definition--The edge of a floor, roof,

or formwork for a floor or other walking/working surface (such as the deck) which changes location as additional floor, deck, etc. is added. A leading edge is considered to be an “unprotected side & edge” during periods when it is not actively under construction.

Leading Edge Each employee who is constructing

a leading edge 6’ or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling unless the employer can demonstrate it creates a greater hazard to use a fall protection system.

Leading Edge Each employee on walking/working

surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet above lower levels, by Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS), covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes.

Holes Each employee on walking/working

surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet above lower levels by PFAS, covers, or guardrail systems.

Employees shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into holes and from objects falling through holes.

Excavations Excavations. Each employee at

the edge of an excavation 6 feet or more in depth shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, fences, or barricades when the excavation are not readily seen because of plant growth or other visual barrier.

Excavations Excavations. Each employee at

the edge of a well, pit, shaft, and similar excavation 6’ or more in depth shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, fences, barricades, or covers.

Low-Slope roofs Definition—a slope ≤ to 4” to 12” Working 6’ or more above lower level

shall be protected from falling by Guardrail system Safety net system Personal fall arrest system Warning line and one of the above Warning line and safety monitoring

system

Steep Roofs Each employee on a steep roof

with unprotected sides and edges 6’ or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems with toe boards, safety net systems, or PFAS.

Steep roof - Example Bowman Hall

Low-slope roof - Example LLC

Low-slope roof - Example Applied Arts

Low-slope roof - Example How would you

change that light? Articulating lift? Extension ladder? Hang over edge?

All of the above require special procedures. Know them!

Low-slope roof - Example Walkway between

EHS and Voc. Rehab.

Low-slope and Steep-roof Bowman Hall

Protection from Falling Objects When an employee is exposed to

falling objects, the employer shall have each employee wear a hard hat and shall implement one of the following: Erect Toe boards, screens or guardrail… Erect a canopy Barricade the area

1926.502 Fall protection systems…

General Requirement: Fall Protection must be provided and installed before the employee begins the work that requires fall protection.

Fall Protection Systems

Guardrail systems Safety Net systems Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) Positioning device systems Warning line systems Controlled access system Safety monitoring system

Personal Fall Arrest System

PFAS is a system to arrest an employee in a fall and consists of an anchorage, connectors, body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or combination of these.

The use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited!

Personal Fall Arrest System Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)

and their use shall comply with the provisions covering Connectors; Dee-rings; Snaphooks; Webbing; Lifelines; Lanyards; Ropes; Anchorages; etc.

Specific details pertaining to the above can be found in 29CFR 1926.502(d).

Personal Fall Arrest System The attachment point of the body harness

shall be located in the center of the wearer’s back near shoulder level, or above the wearer’s head.

PFAS and components subjected to impact loading shall be immediately removed from service and not used again and until inspected by competent person to be undamaged & suitable for reuse.

Personal Fall Arrest System

PFAS shall be inspected prior to each use for wear, damage and other deterioration, and defective components shall be removed from service.

PFAS shall not be attached to guardrails or used to hoist materials

Competent PersonConstruction personnel who will be responsible for supervision on job sites where fall hazards exist. Knows OSHA competent person requirements for fall protection, fall hazard identification, how to select the proper protective system and the importance of planning for fall protection.

Safety Monitoring System

Safety Monitoring System is: a safety system in which a

competent person is responsible for recognize fall hazards.

Shall warn the employee when it appears the employee is unaware of a fall hazard or is acting in an unsafe manner.

Safety Monitoring System The Monitor:

Shall be on the same walking/working surface and within visual sighting distance of the employee being monitored.

Shall be close enough to communicate orally with the employee.

Shall NOT have other responsibilities which could take the monitor’s attention from the monitoring function.

Safety Monitoring System

Mechanical equipment shall not be used or stored in areas where safety monitoring systems are being used to monitor emp.

No employee, other than an employee engaged in roofing work [on low-sloped roofs] or an employee covered by a fall protection plan, shall be allowed in an area where an employee is being protected by a safety monitor system.

Safety Monitoring System

Each employee working in a controlled access zone shall be directed to comply promptly with fall hazard warnings from safety monitors.

Ladder Safety and Support Systems Examples of “some” of the

locations that can be on campus

Ladder Safety – Fall Protection Light Pole at

Williams football stadium.

Notice vertical wire cable

Ladder Safety – Fall Protection Light Pole at

Williams football stadium.

Notice vertical wire cable

Ladder Safety – Fall Protection Light poles east of

outdoor track

Ladder Safety – Fall Protection Light Pole east of

outdoor track Notice vertical

wire cable

Ladder Safety and Support Systems

All safety devices must be capable of withstanding, without failure, a drop test consisting of a 500 pound weight.

All safety devices must permit the worker to ascend or descend without continually having to hold, push, or pull any part of the device, leaving both hands free for climbing

Ladder Safety and Support Systems

All safety devices must be activated within 2 feet after a fall occurs, and limit the descending velocity of an employee to 7 feet/second or less.

The connection between the carrier or lifeline and the point of attachment to the body belt or harness must not exceed 9 inches in length.

Ladder Safety Devices Mountings for rigid carriers must

be attached at each end of the carrier, with intermediate mountings, spaced along the entire length of the carrier, to provide the necessary strength to stop workers’ falls.

Rope Grab Def. - Is a deceleration device

which travels on a lifeline and automatically, by friction, engages the lifeline and locks so as to arrest the fall of an employee. A rope grab usually employs the principle of inertial locking, cam/level locking, or both.

Self-retracting lifeline/lanyard Def. – Is a deceleration device

containing a drum-wound line which can be slowly extracted from, or retracted onto, the drum under slight tension during normal employee movement, and which, after onset of a fall, automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall.

Steps to follow1. Determine if walking/working

surfaces are structurally safe2. Conduct a fall protection hazard

assessment3. Eliminate the need for fall

protection if possible4. Select the appropriate type of fall

protection system

Steps to follow

5. Develop rescue & retrieval procedures

1. May involve calling “911”

6. Contact your supervisor if you have any questions!

Don’t improvise! Does this look

safe?

Don’t take chances! Does this look

acceptable? Any questions?

Don’t take chances when climbing!

Any Questions?