1/05 Fall Protection

2 Notice  This presentation is provided to all Educational Service District 101 (ESD 101) schools at no cost.  This presentation contains copyrighted materials purchased by ESD 101 for the exclusive use of training school personnel within ESD 101.  This presentation may not be reproduced except to print “handouts” or “notes pages” for use during training within ESD 101 school districts.  If the school district does not have Microsoft’s PowerPoint software available, a PowerPoint viewer can be downloaded from the internet at no cost.  Questions may be directed to the ESD 101 Risk Manager.

3 Types of falls Falls from same level Slips Trips High frequency rate Low injury severity rate

4 Types of falls n Falls from an elevation Relatively low frequency rate High injury severity rate n Specific potential fall hazards

5 Common fall protection systems n Guardrail systems and toeboards n Handrail and stair rail systems n Designated areas

6 Common fall protection systems n Hole covers n Safety net systems n Ladder cages

7 Common fall protection systems n Ramps and bridging devices n Slip-resistant floors n Effective housekeeping

8 What happens during a fall? n Person loses his/her balance n Body unintentionally moves from an upright position to a prone, or semi-prone position

9 What happens during a fall? n Free-fall velocity at impact when falling 12 feet is nearly 20 M.P.H. n Person hits the ground in less than one second from this distance

10 n Falls are dangerous because of three primary elements: n The free-fall distance the worker falls n The shock absorption at impact n The body weight of the worker Why are falls dangerous?

11 Free-fall distance n The uncontrolled length of travel before a worker hits the floor, ground, or before fall arrest equipment activates n Measured from the foot level before the fall, to the foot level after the fall

12 Free-fall distance n Free-fall distance should be limited to a few feet so as to prevent injury from: collisions with grade level collisions with obstructions near the work site pendulum-like swings that result in collision with objects

13 Shock absorption at impact n Varies according to the types of fall protection equipment used n Shock-absorbing lanyards reduce the probability of injury

14 n Falls have more severe impact on heavy workers n “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” n Heavy workers may have larger waistlines, preventing fall arrest equipment from fitting properly Body weight of the worker

15 Fall arrest systems n Used when engineering controls are not feasible or sufficient to eliminate the risk of a fall n Fall arrest systems should match the work situation

16 Fall arrest systems n Fall arrest systems should: prevent a worker from falling more than 6 feet prevent a worker from contacting any lower level during arrest of a fall

17 Fall arrest systems n Fall arrest systems should: limit the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1800 pounds when a worker uses a body harness bring a worker to a complete stop limit the deceleration distance a worker travels to 3 1/2 feet

18 Fall arrest systems n Fall arrest systems should: have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential energy impact of a worker falling a distance of 6 feet - or- have sufficient strength to withstand the free-fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less

19 Personal fall protection n Personal fall arrest systems n Positioning device system n Personal fall protection system for climbing activities

20 Training n Equipment inspection n Application limits n Methods of use n Donning, doffing, adjusting equipment

21 Training n Anchoring and tie-off techniques n Emergency rescue plans and implementation n Maintenance procedures n Storage techniques

22 Vendor/Supplier information n Comprehensive instructions for fall arrest system use and application, provided by the supplier, should consist of:

23 Vendor/Supplier information n The force measured during the sample force test n Maximum elongation measured for lanyards during the force test

24 Vendor/Supplier information n Deceleration distance for deceleration devices measured during the force test n Caution statements on critical-use limitations

25 Vendor/Supplier information n Application limits n Proper hook-ups

26 Vendor/Supplier information n Anchoring tie-off techniques n Proper climbing techniques

27 Vendor/Supplier information n Methods of inspection, use, cleaning, storage n Lifelines

28 Reporting fall hazards n Employees will not experience repercussions from reporting hazards n Employees should report unsafe equipment, conditions, procedures

29 Reporting fall hazards n Equipment repair receives top priority n Under no circumstances will defective equipment be used

30 Reporting fall hazards n When fall conditions exist: Take short steps Keep toes pointed out Walk on the whole foot when crossing rough or slippery surfaces Avoid making sharp turns If you fall, protect your head and neck

31 Reporting fall hazards n Disciplinary actions for failure to use equipment

32 Housekeeping n Effective housekeeping prevents falls n Keep high work areas free from: Tools Materials Debris Liquids