1. Fall Protection

2. Types of falls Falls from same level Slips Trips High frequency rate
Low injury severity rate 1a

3. Types of falls Falls from an elevation Specific potential fall hazards
Relatively low frequency rate
High injury severity rate
Specific potential fall hazards 1b

4. Common fall protection systems
Guardrail systems and toeboards
Handrail and stairrail systems
Designated areas 2a

5. Common fall protection systems
Hole covers
Safety net systems
Ladder cages 2b

6. Common fall protection systems
Ramps and bridging devices
Slip-resistant floors
Effective housekeeping 2c

7. What happens during a fall?
Person loses his/her balance
Body unintentionally moves from an upright position to a prone, or semi-prone position 3a

8. What happens during a fall?
Free-fall velocity at impact when falling 12 feet is nearly 20 M.P.H.
Person hits the ground in less than one second from this distance 3b

9. Why falls are dangerous
Falls are dangerous because of three primary elements:
The free-fall distance the worker falls
The shock absorption at impact
The body weight of the worker 4a

10. Free-fall distance
The uncontrolled length of travel before a worker hits the floor, ground, or before fall arrest equipment activates
Measured from the foot level before the fall, to the foot level after the fall 5a

11. Free-fall distance
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 5b

12. Shock absorption at impact
Varies according to the types of fall protection equipment used
Shock-absorbing lanyards reduce the probability of injury 6a

13. Body weight of the worker
Falls have more severe impact on heavy workers
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Heavy workers may have larger waistlines, preventing fall arrest equipment from fitting properly 7a

14. Fall arrest systems
Used when engineering controls are not feasible or sufficient to eliminate the risk of a fall
Fall arrest systems should match the work situation 8a

15. Fall arrest systems 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 8b

16. Fall arrest systems 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 8c

17. Fall arrest systems 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 8d

18. Personal fall protection
Personal fall arrest systems
Positioning device system
Personal fall protection system for climbing activities 9a

19. Training Equipment inspection Application limits Methods of use
Donning, doffing, adjusting equipment
10a

20. Training Anchoring and tie-off techniques
Emergency rescue plans and implementation
Maintenance procedures
Storage techniques
10b

21. Vendor/Supplier information
Comprehensive instructions for fall arrest system use and application, provided by the supplier, should consist of:
11a

22. Vendor/Supplier information
The force measured during the sample force test
Maximum elongation measured for lanyards during the force test
11b

23. Vendor/Supplier information
Deceleration distance for deceleration devices measured during the force test
Caution statements on critical-use limitations
11c

24. Vendor/Supplier information
Application limits
Proper hook-ups
11d

25. Vendor/Supplier information
Anchoring tie-off techniques
Proper climbing techniques
11e

26. Vendor/Supplier information
Methods of inspection, use, cleaning, storage
Lifelines
11f

27. Reporting fall hazards
Employees will not experience repercussions from reporting hazards
Employees should report unsafe equipment, conditions, procedures
12a

28. Reporting fall hazards
Equipment repair receives top priority
Under no circumstances will defective equipment be used
12b

29. Reporting fall hazards
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
12c

30. Reporting fall hazards
Disciplinary actions for failure to use equipment
12d

31. Housekeeping Effective housekeeping prevents falls
Keep high work areas free from:
Tools
Materials
Debris
Liquids
13a