Occupational Health Program
Safety Training Series
Fall Protection
Awareness Training
1
Fall Protection
2
Why Fall Protection???
„
„
„
„
„
„
Do you know anyone who is
afraid/nervous of heights?
Do you know anyone who has
fallen off of a deck or roof?
In 1999, over 93,000 workers
incurred injuries from falls to
lower levels (BLS)
Falls typically account for 10%
of fatal work injuries
The number of fatal on-the-job
falls in 2007 rose to a new high
of 835 (BLS)
OSHA Regulated CFR 1910 &
1926
3
Fall Protection Measures
„
Training Program
- Understand and recognize potential hazards
„
„
Hazard Assessment
Engineering Controls (Fall Protection Systems)
- Guardrail system – Barrier along open edge
- Safety net system – Net under elevated worker
- Personal fall arrest system – harness, lanyard and lifeline/rope
– Controlled access zones
„
Employee Awareness
–
–
–
Keep tools and materials away from edges
Be familiar with available Fall Protection safety equipment
Rule of thumb: Utilize safe Fall Protection methods and
safety equipment when working higher than 4 feet above
ground or platform
4
Height Hazard Recognition
„
Falls can be dangerous, even fatal
™ Falls from same level
•
•
•
•
Slips
Trips
High frequency rate
Low injury severity
rate
™ Falls from an elevation
• Free Fall
• Impact
• Relatively low
frequency rate
• High injury
severity rate
5
Height Hazard Recognition
„
Surface conditions (wet, icy, dusty, slippery)
„
Weather conditions (wind, rain, snow)
6
Height Hazard Recognition
„
Workers not aware of their location
– Stay away from edges, unless you are working there
„
Tripping over tools, materials, etc.
„
Dropping/Falling objects
„
When working above ground:
– Don’t leave tools or materials where they might be
kicked over the edge or tripped over
– Don’t throw items over the edge
– Wear hard hats when working under an aboveground
work area
7
Height Hazard Assessment
„ Elevated
Platforms
> 4 feet above lower level/ground
„ Trenches
„ Pits
„ Roofs
„ Towers/Poles
„ Crevasses
8
Fall Protection Systems
Guardrail system –
Barrier along open edge
„ Barrier
along an open edge
„ 42" high with middle rail halfway up
„ Toeboard or kickplate
„ Can withstand force
9
Fall Protection Systems
Safety net system –
Net under elevated worker
„ Safety
devices located under elevated
workers
„ Made of a strong rope mesh
„ Inspection requirements
10
Fall Protection Systems
Other Fall Protection Systems
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Ladder Cages
Hole Covers
Controlled access zones
Warning line systems
Slip-Resistant Floors
Safety monitoring
Housekeeping
11
Fall Protection Systems
Personal fall arrest system –
harness, lanyard, lifeline/rope
Worker ‘anchored’ to fixed object
Harness attached to lanyard, lifeline,
or deceleration device
„ Should prevent a worker from
falling more than 6 feet & from
contacting any lower level during
arrest of a fall
„
„
12
Personal Fall Arrest System
Arresting Forces
„
„
„
„
The act of falling is not painful
Striking an object or sudden
stopping causes pain
Body weight x fall distance
Personal Fall Arrest System should
– bring a worker to a complete stop
– limit the maximum arresting force
on an employee to 1800 pounds
13
Personal Fall Arrest System
Body Belts
„ As
of January 1, 1998, use of a body belt
for fall arrest is prohibited by OSHA
– Damage to spine and internal organs
– Average tolerable suspension time is 90
seconds
– Maximum of only 900 pounds of arresting
force
14
Personal Fall Arrest System
Harnesses
„
Arresting forces on thighs, pelvis, waist, chest
and shoulders
– Harness rated for 1,800 pounds of arresting forces
– Tolerable suspension time of 15 minutes
„
D-rings
– Upper back for fall arrest
– Sides for positioning
– Front for rescue or suspension
15
Personal Fall Arrest System
Deceleration Device
„ Dissipates
a substantial amount of energy
during a fall arrest
„ Rip-stitch, tearing, or stretching lanyard
„ Retracting lifelines or lanyards
16
Personal Fall Arrest System
Anchorage
„
Located directly above you
– Avoid swinging
– Clear drop zone
„
„
„
Can withstand 5,000 pounds of force
Don’t use guardrail or other item that may break
Ask a supervisor if unsure about proper anchor
points
17
Personal Fall Arrest System
Connectors
„
„
„
„
„
Connectors are vital
Includes self-locking snaphooks
Non-locking snaphooks cannot be
part of personal fall arrest systems
Do not link similar connectors
together
Never tie a knot for a connection
18
Personal Fall Arrest System
Equipment Inspection
„
„
„
„
„
„
„
Inspect before every use
Cuts, tears, abrasions, stitches coming out
Cracks or burrs
Parts move freely
No alterations
Appropriate labels
Record inspection in a log
19
Personal Fall Arrest System
Rescue Plan
„ Each
worksite or facility must have
a rescue plan
„ Employees must be trained on the plan
„ Must limit hanging/suspension time
20
Equipment
Be familiar with your equipment
Your fall protection equipment may include:
„ Hardhats/climbing helmets
„ Harnesses
„ Self-retracting lifeline w/ manual crank
„ Gloves, radios
21
Equipment
Vendor/Supplier information
„ Methods
of inspection, use, cleaning,
storage
„ Anchoring/tie-off techniques
„ Application limits
„ Deceleration distance for deceleration
devices measured during the force test
22
Fall Protection Awareness and
Hazard Recognition
23
What’s Wrong?
24
25
26
http://www.safety.wisc.edu
27