Fall Protection & Safety Equipment for Framing

Construction workers are protected by a number of safety devices.

There is an iconic photograph of construction workers eating lunch on a metal beam, suspended thousands of feet above the Manhattan skyline. Luckily, construction workers today don't have to take such risks while they are on the job. There are a number of safety devices to protect such individuals, including building framers, from the dangers of falling off the buildings on which they are working.

Framers

Framers are the workers who build the skeleton of a structure, otherwise known as the frame. These are the thick beams that create the support structures on which other workers will lay the material for walls, floors and roofs. This can be dangerous work, since framers are the ones who are climbing and creating support structures where none exist, and they work as high as the building will eventually climb. The danger of falling to the ground is very real.

Scaffolding

The primary safety equipment for building framers is scaffolding. These are supported walkways that workers secure against the building level on which they will be working. These give workers a safe place to stand while they are working on the particular level. This is safer for the workers and also allows them to do better work by giving them firm ground while working in the air, instead of making them find their own balance. The scaffolding also has secure hand rails to prevent workers from falling off the scaffolding itself.

Fall Arrest Devices

Fall arrest devices are used in conjunction with scaffolding to provide the greatest level of safety for individuals working on the frame of a building. These devices consist of a harness the framer wears, which is attached to a rope or lanyard, which is secured to an anchor point. The rope itself passes through a deceleration device to slow the fall of a framer who has slipped. If the rope alone was used, then the force of the rope suddenly going taught could seriously injure the framer.

Exemptions

As a rule, contractors and construction companies must provide framers with scaffolding and fall arrest devices when they are working. However, there are instances in construction when the use of scaffolding or fall arrest devices could actually pose a greater hazard to workers. These including leading edge work by carpenters and precast concrete erection work. In these cases, contractors are allowed to appoint a qualified individual to come up with an alternative fall protection plan for workers. This person must supervise the implementation of his plan, keep a copy of the plan on the work site at all times and document why exactly the conventional safety equipment is infeasible or would pose a greater hazard.

References

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration: 1926.502(k)
• Mid-American OSHA Education Center: Fact Sheet - Fall Protection in Residential Construction
• Political Critic: Eating Above Manhattan (Lunchtime Atop a Skyscraper) Posters
• Jax Scaffold Systems