Fall Protection Review

Objectives Increase management sensitivity on Falls safety Increase disciplined compliance to policies and procedures Increase management active involvement in safety

Why Worry About Falls?

Why worry about Falls? Falls are leading cause of worker deaths in construction industry An average of nationwide fatalities and more than 100,000 injuries every year FY02 23 of 43 construction related deaths in Florida

Why worry about Falls? In FY92 citations for Falls were not in OSHA top ten list By FY08, fall protection had become #2 for construction as a whole 5760 citations FY08 for Building construction: # citations for duty to have fall protection # citations for fall protection system

What are the common causes of Falls in our worksites?

Causes of falls Unstable work surfaces Misuse of fall protection equipment Human error, impairment, judgment

Nature of Falls Complex events Involve a variety of factors Deal with human behavior, work environment, and equipment related issues Require solutions and risk mitigation in both areas

Fundamentals

Basic Rule Construction employers must protect their employees from fall hazards and falling objects whenever an affected employee is 6 feet (1.8 meters) or more above a lower level. Protection must also be provided for construction workers who are exposed to the hazard of falling into dangerous equipment.

Required Fall Protection HOLES--Fall protection must be provided if employees can fall, more than 6 feet to a lower level, through a hole and protection must be provided to prevent employees from tripping or stepping into holes as long as they are at least 2 inches or more in size in their smallest dimension.

Areas or activities where fall protection is needed. These include, but are not limited to ramps, runways, and other walkways; excavations; hoist areas; holes; formwork and reinforcing steel; leading edge work; unprotected sides and edges; overhand bricklaying and related work; roofing work; precast concrete erection; wall openings; residential construction; and other walking/working surfaces.

Prevention Studies show correct use of these can prevent majority of injuries from falls: Guardrails Fall arrest systems Safety nets Covers Travel restraint systems Controlled Access Zones

Types of Fall Protection Fall Arrest full-body harness with a shock- absorbing lanyard or a retractable lifeline Anchor, Harness and Lines Positioning Suspension Retrieval.

Our JOINT Responsibilities Management and workforce together must: Select fall protection systems appropriate for given situations. Construct and install our safety systems properly. Create a culture of discipline. Develop and use work procedures appropriate to our actual work conditions and environments. Train workers in the proper selection, use, and maintenance of all protection systems.

Management tasks Identify and evaluate fall hazards Validate the selection of fall protection measures compatible with the type of work being performed Provide specific reinforcement training on site “Increase awareness and ensure compliance” EMPLOYEE OBLIGATION

What don’t our employees keep themselves safe?

Common employee obstacles Sense of invulnerability Complacency between accidents In a hurry Rebellious Not conditioned to compliance as a reflex

What can we do to prevent Falls?

Fall Protection Tips Identify all potential tripping and fall hazards DAILY before work starts. Look DAILY for fall hazards such as unprotected floor openings/edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings/edges. Inspect fall protection equipment DAILY for defects before use. Enforce constantly the use of fall protection equipment appropriate for the task.

Fall Protection Tips Ensure all ladders are secure and stabilized Never allow standing on the top rung/step of a ladder. Use handrails when you go up or down stairs. Keep the work site in order:

What’s wrong with these worksites?

Roofs More workers fall to their deaths from, or through, roofs than any other work surface. All open holes must be covered in areas where work is being performed.

Questions ???

Additional Information

Exceptions to Subpart M The exceptions from Subpart M are: Employees making an inspection, investigation or assessment of workplace conditions prior to the actual beginning of the work or after all construction has been completed are not required to have any fall protection.

Additional OSHA areas on Falls In addition to Subpart M, certain fall related hazards are covered by: Subpart N (Cranes and Derricks), Subpart R (Steel Erection), Subpart S (Tunneling), Subpart V (Power Distribution

Required alternatives to conventional fall protection There are five types of work activities that Subpart M permits/or requires employers to use alternatives to conventional fall protection: 1. OVERHAND BRICK LAYING OPERATIONS--Employees engaged in overhand bricklaying, and operations directly related to overhand bricklaying, can be protected by a Controlled Access Zone. ( See (b)(9)) 2. PERFORMANCE OF ROOFING WORK ON LOW SLOPED ROOFS.--In addition to standard fall protection employers may use a warning line system/safety monitor option. Certain designated employees can work outside a warning line, set either 6 feet or 10 feet in from the edge of the roof. If the roof is less than 50 feet wide only a safety monitor is required. (See (b)(10)) 3-5. PRECAST CONCRETE ERECTION ( (b)(12)), LEADING EDGE CONSTRUCTION ( (b)(2) AND RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ( (b)(13)-- **(See the following note on Residential Construction.) Where an employer can demonstrate it is infeasible to use conventional fall protection they may implement a “Fall Protection Plan.” (See (k))