Doc #: 1000-AD Revision: - FALL PROTECTION PLAN SOP. Author(s): T. Lavoie/ M. Saucedo/ J. Dunlop/ Mtn. Supervisor

Transcription

1 Doc #: 1000-AD Revision: - FALL PROTECTION PLAN SOP Author(s): T. Lavoie/ M. Saucedo/ J. Dunlop/ Mtn. Supervisor

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS REVISION HISTORY INTRODUCTION PROGRAM DESCRIPTION DEFINITIONS HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING CONTROL OF HAZARDS RESPONSIBILITIES Supervisor Employees and Contractors PROCEDURES Permanent Facilities Work Platforms Fall Restraint System Custom Made Fall Protection Systems Working from Articulating and/or Telescoping Boom Lifts Personal Fall Arrest System Components Inspection Inspection, Storage, and Maintenance of Personal Fall Arrest Systems Care and Storage of Equipment Wearing Fall Protection Equipment Training Rescue Plan Fall Protection Flow Chart REFERENCES AD Docx Page 2 of 11

3 REVISION HISTORY Rev Date Approved Sections Affected Reason for Change Remarks and/or Change Details Name -- 2/1/2017 Initial Release TLavoie Approved by: Name, Facilities Manager Name, Mountain Facilities Supervisor Tammie Lavoie 01 Feb 2017 Tammie Lavoie, Safety Manager Date 1000-AD Docx Page 3 of 11

4 1.0 INTRODUCTION This procedure will pertain to all NOAO-North employees and contractor personnel who may be exposed to a variety of fall hazards while performing inspections, service, maintenance, repair, telescope support, experiment support, and building remodeling projects. Under these instances, OSHA requires workers to use fall protection at elevations of four feet, or higher. 2.0 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The first approach to fall prevention safety is to prevent a fall from occurring. When fall prevention is not possible, fall protection in the form of fall positioning, fall restraint, or a personal fall arrest system is required in accordance with Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1910 and DEFINITIONS Competent Person A person who is capable of identifying hazardous or dangerous conditions in any personal fall arrest system or any component thereof, as well as in their application and use with related equipment. Fall Protection System A barrier erected to prevent workers from falling to lower levels. It can also be a system/procedure intended to prevent workers from falling off, onto or through working levels. Lanyard A flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap which generally has a connector at each end for connecting the body belt or body harness to a deceleration device, lifeline or anchorage. Lifeline A component consisting of a flexible line for connection to an anchorage at one end to hang vertically (VLL) or for connection to anchorages at both ends to stretch horizontally (HLL) and which serves as a means for connecting other components of a personal fall arrest system to the anchorage. Personal Fall Arrest System A system used to arrest a worker in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage point, connectors, and a body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations of these. (As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited.) 1000-AD Docx Page 4 of 11

5 Qualified Person One with a recognized degree or professional certificate and extensive knowledge and experience in the subject field that is capable of design, analysis, evaluation and specifications in the subject work, project, or product. 4.0 HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING Whenever a worker is completing a job task at a height of four feet or higher, it can create a hazard to the worker, or other humans and objects below. The main hazards associated with falling are suspension trauma, property or equipment damage, and in worst cases, death. Suspension trauma, also known as harness hang syndrome, can cause a worker to lose consciousness within minutes. For this reason, any job that involves the use of fall protection must have an identifiable rescue plan. 5.0 CONTROL OF HAZARDS Administrative All employees must review this document upon hire, and refresh as needed. Review training requirements in 7.9. Review the Rescue Plan (1000-AD ). Engineering N/A Elimination/Substitution Complete work at ground level instead of working at heights. (Elimination) Use lifts, when possible, to get into a position to work at heights instead of physically climbing. (Substitution) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fall restraint system Personal fall arrest system Fall protection Harness Lanyards 6.0 RESPONSIBILITIES 6.1 Supervisor Ensure that persons within their areas of responsibility comply with this plan and its implementing documents, and, in particular, have completed the required training prior to beginning work. 6.2 Employees and Contractors Follow all guidance provided in training and work processes to safely perform fall protection procedures AD Docx Page 5 of 11

6 7.0 PROCEDURES 7.1 Permanent Facilities Work Platforms Fall prevention is required when workers are working off of a permanent platform and the height from the platform surface to the lower level is at or above four feet. Fall prevention is achieved by installing railings on the platform and on the stairs leading to the platform. Additionally, fall prevention can also be achieved by installing a restraint system, if the installation of railings is not feasible. 7.2 Fall Restraint System This system consists of a harness, a non-shock absorbing lanyard or restraint line, and an anchorage point. It will allow a worker to approach a hazard and work hands-free, while not allowing the worker to fall any distance. The harness must be attached to securely rigged restraint lines. The anchorage must be able to withstand a minimum force of 5,000 pounds, or twice the maximum expected force that is needed to restrain the person from an exposure to the fall hazard. Restraint protection must be rigged to allow the movement of workers only as far as the sides and edges of the walking and working surface goes. 7.3 Custom Made Fall Protection Systems There may be instances where a work process and its environment do not lend themselves to using commercially available equipment. In these cases, the division or section may design a fall protection system in-house, or procure custom designed systems from several companies that engage in this kind of service. With this being said, there are steps that must be taken to ensure that the system meets all of the parameters required by the performance standards within OSHA and ANSI. These steps are listed below. 1. NOAO Designed Systems A NOAO qualified engineer may design a system and oversee the installation. Acceptance of the system requires an engineering note that must be created and accepted. The engineering note must also include the installation specifications. Excluded from the requirements are systems that have been designed as part of a new construction, or modifications that are included in engineering drawings and specifications, and signed by a NOAO engineer, or a contractor under contract to NOAO. 2. Commercially Designed Systems Systems designed by companies who specialize in fall protection systems must also follow similar rules to systems designed by NOAO. The company must provide a product sheet that describes the system as meeting the OSHA and ANSI standards for fall protections. Installation specifications must also be provided. Installation of the system must be completed by subcontractors who are qualified to do so. These custom designed systems are subject to yearly inspections by a separate, qualified person. All inspections must be documented, and the qualified person may be a NOAO employee or a subcontractor who meets the definition AD Docx Page 6 of 11

7 7.4 Working from Articulating and/or Telescoping Boom Lifts Anyone who works from a telescoping and/or articulating boom lift and bucket trucks must wear a personal fall arrest system attached to the manufacture s designated anchorage point. The use of a personal fall arrest system is not required on scissor lifts if the guardrail system is intact. 7.5 Personal Fall Arrest System Components Inspection To maintain their service life and high performance, all personal fall arrest system components must be visually inspected before each use. Additionally, a supervisor, or a competent person, must inspect all personal fall arrest system components at least annually, and document the inspection. If any personal fall arrest system is found to be deficient, it must be taken out of service, or replaced immediately. All components of a personal fall arrest system must be removed from service if subject to a fall. Marking or writing on the webbing of the harnesses for identification purposes can only be done with the Sharpie brand of felt-tip marking pens from Sanford, Inc. In the absence of these pens, most harnesses have a blank label in the back of the label pack to fill out and use for identification. Any marker will suffice when using the blank label. 7.6 Inspection, Storage, and Maintenance of Personal Fall Arrest Systems Manufacturer s instructions must be kept on file for reference. The steps to inspect, store, and conduct maintenance on personal fall arrest systems are listed below. 1. Anchorage Points/Lifelines A visual inspection must be conducted each time the anchorage points/lifelines are being used. Pay special attention to any cracks, or heavy wear developing around the anchor points or if the anchor points are unstable and loose. End users must not tieoff to unsafe anchorages. 2. Harnesses A. For a harness, inspections begin at one end. The body side of the belt must be held towards the inspector. The inspector must grasp the belt with both hands six to eight inches apart, and should bend the belt in an inverted U. During the inspection, watch for frayed edges, broken fibers, pulled stitches, cuts, or chemical damage. Check D-rings and D-ring metal wear pads for distortion, cracks, breaks, and rough or sharp edges. The D-ring bar should be at a 90 degree angle with the long axis of the belt, and should pivot freely. B. Attachments of buckles and D-rings should be given special attention. Note any unusual wear, frayed or cut fibers, or distortion of the buckles. Rivets should be tight and irremovable with fingers. The body side rivet base and outside rivets should be flat against the material. Bent rivets will fail under stress. C. Inspect frayed or broken strands. Broken webbing strands generally appear as tufts on the webbing surface. Any broken, cut, or burnt stitches will be readily seen AD Docx Page 7 of 11

8 D. Buckle tongues should be free of distortion in shape and motion. They should overlap the buckle frame and move freely back and forth in their socket. Rollers should turn freely on the frame. Check for distortion, sharp edges, and loose, distorted, or broken grommets. E. Inspect the friction buckle for distortion. The outer bar, or center bars, must be straight. Pay special attention to the corners and attachment points of the center bar. 3. Lanyards When inspecting lanyards, begin at one end and work to the opposite end. Slowly rotate the lanyard so that the entire circumference is checked. Spliced ends require extra attention. Visual and physical inspections of the web and rope lanyards must be conducted periodically to determine if damage has been done. Damage can occur when exposed to heat, chemicals, ultraviolet rays, molten metal or flame, and paint and solvents. Damage is especially common on the hardware, and the thimbles. Hardware should be examined under the procedures detailed below. 1. Web Lanyard While bending webbing over the piece of pipe, observe each side of the webbed lanyard. This will reveal any cuts or breaks. Due to the limited elasticity of the web lanyard, fall protection without the use of a shock-absorber is not recommended. 2. Rope Lanyard Rotation of the rope lanyard while inspecting from end to end will show any fuzzy, worn, broken, or cut fibers. Weakened areas from extreme loads will appear as a noticeable change in the original diameter. The rope diameter should be uniform throughout, following a short break-in period. When a rope lanyard is used for fall protection, a shock-absorbing system should be included. 3. Shock-Absorbing Packs The outer portion of the shock-absorbing pack should be examined for loose straps, rips, and deterioration. 7.7 Care and Storage of Equipment Basic care for fall protection safety equipment will prolong and endure the life of the equipment. It will also guarantee the highest performance of its safety function. Proper storage and maintenance after each use is as important as cleaning the equipment of dirt, corrosives, or contaminants. The storage area should be clean, dry, and free of fumes, mists, vapors, or corrosive elements. For nylon and polyester articles, clean according to the manufacturer s instructions. Harnesses, belts, and other equipment should be dried thoroughly without exposure to heat, steam, or long periods of sunlight. 7.8 Wearing Fall Protection Equipment Fall protection harnesses are designed for a capacity range of 130 pounds to 310 pounds. This range is selected in order to stay within the maximum arresting force of 1, AD Docx Page 8 of 11

9 pounds, directed by government safety regulations. Workers outside these parameters must undergo an evaluation by the respective supervisor, or Safety Manager before they are allowed to use a personal fall arrest system. If permission is obtained to use personal fall arresting gear, workers are restricted to the use of a retractable lanyard. All straps built into the harness must be attached as the manufacturer s instructions state. Leaving the leg straps unhooked may cause the user to slip through and out of the harness with the possibility of serious injury, or death. Hoisting materials with any component of a worker positioning system or with any component of a personal fall arrest system is prohibited. All components of a personal fall arrest system subjected to the stresses of a fall must be taken out of service and disposed of properly. 7.9 Training The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the fall protection program is understood by workers and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe wear, inspection, storage, and maintenance of fall protection equipment are acquired by workers. Retraining must be provided when there is a change in job assignments, fall protection equipment, processes that present a new hazard, or when there is a change in fall protection procedures. Supervisors must also review the related Rescue Plan (1000-AD ) with workers, as it provides additional information on how to handle rescues, in the event that it is necessary. The Fall Protection Training is a course that workers need to complete every two years to stay qualified Rescue Plan The Rescue Plan (1000-AD ) discusses procedures on how to accomplish a selfrescue, an assisted self-rescue with a mechanically aided hauling/rope system, an unconscious state with a mechanically aided hauling/rope system, and an assisted rescue with a mechanically aided aerial lift AD Docx Page 9 of 11

10 7.11 Fall Protection Flow Chart Are workers exposed to a fall hazard equal to or greater than 4 feet? No Stop Are there appropriate guardrails? OSHA requirements for guardrails ( ) No Will the work involve using a ladder? Or OSHA requirements for ladder use ( , , and ) Will the work involve using scaffolding? OSHA requirements for scaffolding use ( ) Or Will the work involve using a mobile lift/aerial lift? OSHA measurements for mobile lift use ( ) Or Is specialized fall protection required? Contact Safety Manager, as appropriate 1000-AD Docx Page 10 of 11

11 8.0 REFERENCES The above information can be found at the following links: General Industry Standards (OSHA) NOAO Environmental, Health & Safety Manual-Tucson/Kitt Peak NOAO Procedures/Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) 1000-AD Docx Page 11 of 11