Fall Protection & Hazards
The U.S. Department of Labor cites falls as a top cause of work fatalities. Falls and fall prevention are a continuous focus of companies. Training and education about the risks are vital to a creating a safe work environment. Some industries have very rigid requirements such as companies building wind towers. Other companies have more general fall safety requirements. In general, a safety device must be used when a worker is four feet off the ground. Maritime industries require safety devices at five feet and the construction industry requires safety equipment at six feet off the ground.
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General Hazards
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Statistics from 2007 show 847 fatal falls. Although falls can occur from a wide range of workplace scenarios, some of the prevalent falls are from ladders and roofs. Other falls are documented in a more general way, such as a fall to the floor or a fall against another object.
Specific Hazards
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards for protection in the workplace. OSHA has identified many circumstances where falls can occur and safety measures to take to reduce accidents from occurring. Examples of potential fall scenarios include falls involving unprotected openings; falls onto rebar; falls from scaffolding, steel-structure erection, ladders and stairs, billboards, rafters and trusses. There are also fall hazards that create multiple risks such as tree trimming near power lines. Not only is the potential for falling a safety hazard, but it is combined with the potential for electrocution.
An example of how important it is to have safety devices in place is the construction industry. According to OSHA, there are approximately 2.3 million construction workers and of those workers, 65 percent perform jobs on scaffolds.
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Fall Hazard Protection
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Some types of fall protection are fairly simple to implement. Training and work practices are keys to protection as it makes employees aware of proper use of safety equipment and establishes a mindset to be aware of risks. Another level of protection includes assessing the work environment for hazards and then creating a safety plan. By assessing the environment before an accident happens, it reduces the chances of an accident. For job tasks that are elevated, the employee should be "tied off," but for this form of protection to work, there must be a place to attach the protection system. Combining the planning with instructional training on how to properly tie off and maintain safety equipment protects the employee. Other forms of protection are installing guardrails and devices like travel restraints and safety nets. Other important aspects to consider for protection include limiting dangerous areas to key personnel only.
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References
- Photo Credit falling image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
