Tips for Fall Protection

By: Bobby McIlquham

As today’s society continues to grow with the demand of workplace safety in virtually every environment, it is important to consider employees and the hazards associated with the type of work he or she performs. Personal Protective Equipment, also known as PPE, plays a critical role in the type of work performed.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ensures that the employer is responsible for requiring employees to wear the appropriate personal fall protection in all operations where there is an exposure to high hazardous conditions.

Fall protection is the second most frequently cited OSHA standards violation reported in 2011 in the construction industry. It’s reported that falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths. Personal fall arrest systems are designed as a backup safety system for an individual during a work task. In the event of an emergency, fall protection equipment should function automatically to help protect the worker from harm and serious injury.

It’s important to understand just how important personal fall protection is to the employers and to their employees. Training is vital when it comes to fall protection. Demonstrations with training seminars are a great way to interact with your employees, and this will give them the understanding of how important fall protection is no matter how big or small a job might be. Proper fit testing of body harnesses to employees, and ensuring that certain sizes match with individual employees, will provide safe practices as well. Ensuring that training is done annually with proper techniques will provide employees a safe workplace. 

Keeping your equipment in good condition is also very important to ensure that employees are protected on the job site. Be sure to inspect your equipment frequently, as keeping it clean from debris and proper storage will guarantee a long lasting system to your employees.  Things to look for while inspecting your harness before each use are:

If any of these components have any damages to them, you must remove them and tag each component out of service. Using these helpful tips toward personal fall protection will maintain a long lasting life of the system and will bring workers home to their families the same way they came into the workplace.