Fall Protection: How to Protect Your Workers. Sponsored by

Transcription

1 Fall Protection: How to Protect Your Workers Sponsored by

2 Failure to plan is planning to fall.

3 A Little Background Who is? Why do they exist? How do they come up with the standards? Are the standards enforceable?

4 Statistics Of the 4386 workplace fatalities in the US in 2014 (most recent data available), nearly 899 were in construction. Of those, nearly 40% were due to falls. Falls being at the top of the list is nothing new and yet The number one cited regulation by Federal OSHA: Falls, Construction.

5 Cost Time Knowledge

6 Cost Direct cost of equipment Cost of training Lost revenue in lack of production

7 Cost What They DON T See Saved $ from avoided injuries Saved $ from avoided premium increases Saved $ in lack of down time and training of training of new personnel due to injury

8 Time Lost production from use of equipment Time taken to determine proper solution Time lost to training

9 Time What They DON T See Time saved as workers can work with confidence Time saved if solutions are planned ahead of time Time saved on future projects when using trained workers

10 Knowledge Unaware training is required Not knowledgeable in existing requirements / regulations Unaware of existing technologies and solutions

11 So, What are Our Options? Passive Active

12 SHOULD BE easy to use Passive Little to no employee action in order to comply Nothing to wear so no discomfort Can be more or less cost effective depending on the situation

13 Why Doesn t It Work? Don t understand the requirements, leading to insufficient protection, i.e. hole covers Don t understand what needs to be protected Rails built / assembled improperly

14 Skylights Big Offender! Skylights are just big holes. Most not strong enough to support weight of a person. Most cages are for debris protection, giving false sense of security. Must be treated the same way you d treat a roof edge. Particular hazard to firefighters especially corrugated roofs.

15 Hole Covers Covered with nearest material, if anything at all. False belief that if it s not big enough to fall through, it doesn t need to be covered. When proper cover is attempted, insufficient strength or improperly marked (if at all) Marking is important!

16 Active

17 PFAS Personal Fall Arrest Systems How many parts? Anchor Point Harness Lanyard Rescue Plan

18 Anchor Points Most difficult part of the process 5000 lbs? How do I know? Who can tell me?

19 Harness Full Body Harness not body belts Where does this go wrong? Wrong fit Incorrectly adjusted Failure to inspect Wrong material Discomfort

20 Expansion Packs Rip stitch Glue packs Bungee style SRLs Positioning Lanyards Lanyards

21 Lanyards Where does this go wrong? Wrong length Wrong material Improperly used: Swing Hazards & Fall Distance

22 Swing Hazard Pendulum Effect 30 degree safe zone! Anchor 30 30

23 Measuring Fall Distance Lanyards are not a one size fits all solution Different lanyards for different tasks Without calculating fall distance, a lanyard could be offering a false sense of security If not planned ahead of time, good probability of error

24 Measuring Fall Distance Sag in anchor 2 Distance required if using a 6 lanyard with a deceleration device: 18.5 Length of lanyard 6 Length of expansion 3.5 Stretch in Length of body below D 5

25 Rescue Plan Or as I call it: Why the heck was there a picture of a notebook on that first slide? Most often forgotten portion of fall arrest, yet just as critical Suspension trauma occurs in minutes REFLOW SYNDROME Safety straps buy some time IF.

26 Rescue Plan So what s the plan? Just going to wing it? Somebody will pull him up? Aerial lift? Ladder?

27 Rescue Plan

28 When am I required to have fall protection? Construction: 6 EXCEPTIONS Longshoring: 5 General Industry: 4 Platforms, walkways, roofs, machinery, boom lifts? Scaffolding? Scissor lifts?

29 REMEMBER: Plan! Plan! Plan!

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31 Disclaimers *This webinar is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information about the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. *This webinar provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship has been created. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. We recommend that you consult with qualified local counsel familiar with your specific situation before taking any action.