Falls are still the number one killer as well as the number one source of injuries in the construction trade. To change this, several organizations including NIOSH, OSHA, CPWR as well as state and private sectro have partnered and created a website.
http://stopconstructionfalls.com/ is a “Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction”. Their goal is to prevent fatalities and injuries through a 3-pronged approach:
1. Plan
2. Provide
3. Train
The website includes, among other things, an interactive map of the US on which you can track construction fatalities as well as an interactive map of all constructive fatalities. (Click on the image below to go to the maps)
You’ll also find a short 13 mn video clip on fall protection, fact sheets, impact cards, campaign materials, toolbox talks, handouts, training materials and more.
Look at the photo above. In his left hand, he has a “Life Member” certificate and in his right hand he has a small statuette, much like an Oscar or something, cast of bronze.
Why did this guy do to receive these awards? Quite simply he wore his harness and wore it right when he took a fall. For it, DBI/SALA not only gave him a new fall protection harness to replace the one that he took a fall in (which should always be replaced after taking a fall) but they also awarded him the certificate and the award.
While, at first it might seem strange to reward someone this way for actually falling while working from heights, upon further reflection DBI/SALA is right. The reward and award isn’t for slipping off a beam, or falling from a girder, the reward is for having taken the time to don the harness correctly and taking the time to work safely and that is definitely something to celebrate and reward.
So don’t go jumping off the I-beam just to get an award but if you do happen to take a fall and you’re wearing a DBI/SALA harness and lanyard, let them know and celebrate safety.
If you’ve got fall protection equipment it is imperative that the equipment be inspected each and every time you use it to make sure it isn’t damaged and that it will perform well if and when it needs to.
In order to make the process as painless as possible, as well as to have adequate record-keeping, having a checklist form is usually the best way to go.
I’ve put together the three following checklist forms that you can download and print out to walk you through this task:
- Full body harness inspection form
- Self-Retracting Lifeline Inspection Form
You can view and download all three of these inspection forms on the fall protection section of our e-commerce website at http://www.nationalsafetyinc.com/9329/Fall-Protection.html (You see all three titles in red in the box at the top of the page, along with the other documents available there. By the way, “The Basics of Fall Protection” document has just been updated to reflect the new standard, so download that as well if you don’t have the latest updated version).
Looking for a good training video for your next safety meetings?
Considering the fact that slips, trips and falls are still one of the biggest causes of accidents in the workplace and usually the most easy to fix, the video by worksafebc.com might be a great place to start.
The video does a great job of covering all the basics and more in an easy to follow fairly entertaining manner.
Check out their Youtube video. While you’re there, have a look at the other videos they’ve posted.
Anyone working in residential construction has, by now, been made fully aware of the new mandate to OSHA inspectors to enforce the new fall protection standard. We’ve blogged about this new standard a few times in the past months.
While residential construction workers may feel like it’s a pain to have to jump through all these hoops in order to be compliant, especially if they’ve been doing what they’ve been doing for many years with no problems, they have to realize that the numbers are there to justify this new standard. Deaths and injuries from falls in residential construction are simply too high to continue to ignore.
While there are, of course, always those who simply don’t care and who will just try to get away without residential fall protection for as long as they are able (one can only hope that OSHA finds them soon), most understand the need and want to comply. The problem is, a lot of them simply don’t know what the standard is and what is required to comply.
OSHA, realizing this, has just posted a new video on the Department of Labor website. The video “OSHA’s Fall Protection Policies for Residential Construction” is intended to remedy this. It is over 26 minutes long and walks the viewer through the standard as well as helping workers comply by showing several options, based on different scenarios. The bottom line is that there simply is no reason left for non-compliance; OSHA has made it easy and has given workers a number of options that make it easy to keep workers safe.
Have a look and see if you don’t agree.
Miller Fall Protection, one of the leaders in fall protection, has come out with a manual entitled “Statement of Best Practices of Personal Fall Protection Systems for Aerial Work Platform Equipment”. Here’s what they have to say about this document:
Rental businesses, manufacturers, associations, educators, regulators, users and operators have joined forces to produce a Statement of Best Practices of Personal Fall Protection Systems for Aerial Work Platform Equipment, which identifies roles and responsibilities, required training and familiarization with this equipment.
The Guide is designed as a general reference for those who want to understand basic fall protection and the best practices for the use of personal fall protection systems with aerial work platform (AWP) equipment. It also is intended for those who do not have a professional safety background but want an overview of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) aerial lift standards that define fall protection requirements when using AWP equipment.
It’s available for free, as a download, just click on the image below.
By Jack Cameron
I will be honest. I have never been crazy about climbing on ladders. I cannot really trace it back to any particularly traumatizing event or anything. I suppose it is just that bit of me that knows I have fallen before and if I fell from a ladder, it could be very bad. If I deconstruct it, I know that I do not actually mind being on the ladder and once I have gotten to where I am climbing to I am pretty cool with that. It is the getting off and getting onto the ladder that gets me.
It turns out my fears in this case are not entirely unjustified. The vast majority of ladder accidents happen during that transition from roof to ladder or ladder to roof. The reasons run the gamut from the ladder not being securely placed against the structure to just a misplaced foot.
Guardian’s Safe-T Ladder Extension System gives you something to hold onto as you get to the top of the ladder. It is a simple light weight extension that attaches to just about any ladder and creates handrails for those few transition moments. It is a simple solution for a simple problem and it is the first Guardian item I made sure I had at my home.
While the Safe-T Ladder Extension System will help you getting onto or off of the ladder, there are of course other things to take into account when using a ladder. Most of these seem like common sense things, but somehow they are still often overlooked. Making sure your ladder is securely placed on the ground is the most important thing you can do to ensure your safety when using a ladder. Sometimes this is more difficult because the ground is uneven.
This is where Guardian’s Ladder Leveler can come in handy. The Guardian Ladder Leveler easily attaches to the bottom of most extension ladders and then adjusts to the ground to make a secure and level base from which to work.
Making sure the ladder is secure and that you can easily get onto and off of the ladder are just two of the things you need to pay attention to when working on a ladder. Also make sure that your ladder is leaning against a structure that will support both the weight of the ladder and anyone who might be using it. Be aware of any nearby electrical lines and take the necessary precautions. The last and perhaps most common mistake is carrying anything in your hands while climbing the ladder. If it’s something small, put it in your pocket. If it’s something large, use a bucket and a tether. Almost half of all falls from ladders happen while people are carrying things.
The Safe-T Ladder Extension System and Ladder Leveler can’t save you from all ladder mishaps, but it makes for a safer working environment which is always good peace of mind.
Think you know about fall protection? Up on all the regulations? What about your employees?
There’s a simple way to find out, take the Fall Protection IQ Test by Miller Fall Protection (Miller was recently acquired by Honeywell).
There are 15 questions some simple, some not so simple. Examples are:
At what height are workers required to wear fall protection according to the Federal OSHA Construction standard? (Question # 1)
Or
According to ANSI Z359.13, an energy absorber on a 6 ft. lanyard can deploy up to: (Question # 11)
The questions are multiple choice.
Take the test yourself and have you employees take it. At best it’ll let you know that everyone knows the basics, at worse, it’ll let you know what to focus in on during your next training.
We’ve talked about the new OSHA directive on residential fall protection compliance before in this blog (See “Help from OSHA in new Residential Construction Standard“) and how OSHA is trying to help residential construction companies comply. The latest addition to the collection of documentation is a PowerPoint presentation designed specifically to help employers train workers on how to comply.
The 80 slide presentation which is available for download on the OSHA website should leave little doubt about how serious OSHA is about residential construction fall injuries and fatalities.
I still rarely see residential construction workers in compliance and I see plenty of new homes going up out where I live. It is still standard to see workers on the roofs of residential new constructions with no fall protection equipment whatsoever.
OSHA is leaving no excuse and, I’m guessing, isn’t going to be giving a lot of “Get out of Jail Free” cards when they notice an infraction. The fact is that it isn’t that expensive or that difficult to comply. Roofing kits are available that are relatively inexpensive and easy to install and use. If you’re involved in residential construction, don’t count of the fact that you’re not big enough to have OSHA bother you. My guess is that eventually, they will.
Your fall protection harness is one part of a whole system designed to keep you from hitting the ground if and when you fall. As such, you need to make sure that it isn’t damaged, ripped or torn in some way to make sure that it will resist the force of the fall.
DO NOT assume that your boss, the tool room guy or your supervisor has inspected the harness for you. It isn’t their life that’s on the line, it’s yours. It is your responsibility to examine and inspect the harness each and every time you put it on. Here’s a step-by-step guide to inspecting your harness.
- First, check all the webbing for frays, cuts, tears, burns or any other damage. Bending the webbing helps to show any surface damage. Pay special attention to areas that are stained and discolored as this might be the result of some chemical that may damage and break down the fibers of the webbing.
- Inspect all the hardware. Make sure that there are no cracks, however small, in any of the metal.
- Make sure that the hooks and gates function properly.
- Check the tongues, buckles and clips. Make sure that all grommets are secure and that they aren’t frayed, worn, stretched or missing.
- Make sure that all D-rings and rollers do not have any rough or sharp edges
- Finally check all rivets and stitching to make sure that the harness is still safe to wear. Pull on webbing joints to make sure that they are strong.
Follow this step-by-step procedure each and every time you don your harness. It’s your life that’s on the line.
