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Is your workplace compliant with OSHA fall protection?

Many people believe that the OSHA regulations for protection against falls, accidents, falls and deaths would decline. Instead, OSHA has reported falls increased in recent years. Often, the sites have systems of protection against falling into place, but the workers are not trained on how to use it. Another reason that the number of falls increases because the systems of protection against falling into place are not properly installed. The only way to ensurethat tragic accidents and falls do not occur both in the construction of pipelines to follow the fall protection Rules of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in September

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501-503, falls may be provided by different systems. The system consists of a handrail driving more than 42 cm from the ground. In mid-iron must be installed midway between top rail and floor. The skirt should be 3 ½ inches. Screens andmesh can be used to replace the half rail, provided that extend from the top rail of the floor.

Another system is the personal fall arrest system. This can be a harness, lanyard, lifeline, connector, and an anchorage capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds. The personal fall arrest system should be checked before each use.

The positioning system device is a harness that allows someone to work on a vertical surface like a wall with both handsFree.

safety monitoring system has other formats such as monitoring person working on an elevated area and warn against any risk of falling.

Another type of fall protection system is the warning line, which consists of a line or cable installed around the work area on the roof and what is allowed on the slope of the roof. Lines or cables to act as a barrier for those working on the roof near the edges and must be on all sides and not less than 6 meters fromroof edge. It should also be used in combination with another system of protection against falling, the more often the system of safeguards.

And 'essential protection system complies with OSHA against falling into place on the site to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. Often, the sites have protection against falls, but are often unsanitary, inadequate and does not allow site safely. Consequently, workers fall and suffer catastrophic damage. Employers can say is that the protection against fallscurrent system, but this is not the end of history. The system of protection against falls may be outdated or improperly installed. Worse, workers are not adequately trained to use the system of protection against falling, despite the fact that there is. Simply because the employer has a system of protection against falling does not mean to blame the fall of a worker and injury.

Fall Protection Inspection – Harnesses

Fall protection, fall arrest, fall prevention, fall safety, fall training – for many people, these words mean life or death.

How can you be sure that your safety gear is working properly? How can you be sure your safety gear was recently inspected? Can you easily access the records of the safety inspection to make sure for yourself that you will not lose your life on the job today?

Each part of the harness plays a major role in saving your life or ending your life. If your occupation has you using a harness, you will be happy to know that you can now automate harness safety inspections.

Automating safety inspections is the best way to make sure you stay safe, to keep your inspections regular; and automation is the best way to easily access all of the safety information online.

In Canada, The Occupational Health and Safety Act places the responsibility not only on supervisors but on employees and constructors, as well.

It is if critical importance that a company ensure the safety of their employees by ensuring that the equipment is in good condition and complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Fall Hazard Control: Part 4 Protection

Fall Hazard Control: Part 4 Protection

by Roofaholic on Saturday, August 14th, 2010 | 1 Comment

In our introductory post about this topic we discussed how fall hazard control – and corresponding cost control – is increasingly being considered in constructability analyses. “Constructability” is a project management technique that reviews a building project from start to finish, during the pre-construction phase.

We also introduced the three types of fall hazard control: elimination, prevention, and protection. In the previous two posts we discussed elimination and prevention. In this final post we will discuss protection.

Constructibility techniques that support fall protection systems involve, to a large degree, the designation and installation of suitable anchorage points. Personal fall arrest equipment technology is rapidly changing but will always be dependent on adequate anchorage. Roof anchorage which is used successively by construction trades and eventually by operations and maintenance personnel is now commonplace on most newly constructed roofs.

Fall protection systems are active by nature. That is, they require the active participation of the protected worker. Fall protection systems require extensive training both of users and their supervisors, and are dependent upon the availability of the proper personal fall protection equipment. They require adequate anchorage points and are most effective where standards or expectations are clear and discipline for non-compliance is certain. Success (translated as ‘no falls from heights’) is much easier to attain when fall elimination or prevention is accomplished through constructability programs.

The value realized with the widespread use of constructability techniques to accomplish fall hazard elimination and prevention is still often difficult to quantify. A glimpse at the potential savings can be obtained by reviewing worker’s compensation costs and third party liabilities costs. Injuries can amount to millions of dollars of additional costs to facilities construction programs.

Using the hierarchy of preference of controls as a guide, constructability efforts should first aim to eliminate and then prevent fall hazards. Fall protection systems should be the last line of defense. The earlier that falls are addressed in a project, the greater the ability to influence the cost. Properly implemented fall elimination and prevention engineering increases in value over the life of a facility.

Know more about the elements of an effective fall protection program

The Ontario Ministry of Labour completed a 90-day provincial compliance and enforcement campaign to ensure employers and workers were complying with the regulations laid out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The goal of the campaign, part of the Safe at Work Ontario strategy to strengthen workplace safety, was to promote long-term compliance and decrease injury and fatality rates.

The program is a combination of a written plan that defines the company’s policy, assigns responsibilities and lays out how fall hazards will be addressed, and the company’s implementation of the plan, including ongoing employee education and training.

Analysis. A key step in the development of the plan is a fall hazard analysis. This survey analyzes each fall hazard that will be encountered on a job site, how the hazard will be controlled, and the type of fall protection and rescue equipment to be used when an employee is exposed to the hazard.

Rescue Plan. For every fall hazard that is controlled, a rescue plan must be in place. This will address the procedure and equipment to be used to rescue a fallen worker, and must be specific to each hazard identified in the fall hazard analysis.

The fall protection plan should account for and delegate responsibilities for equipment inspection, record keeping, maintenance, equipment replacement, incident reporting, enforcement, accident investigation and training.

Training. The OHSA requires workers to be adequately trained in the proper use of fall protection equipment. To maximize comprehension, training should be conducted through a combination of classroom and hands-on work.

Non-compliance policy. If compliance continues to be a problem, consider implementing a policy that punishes non-compliance. This policy could range from no-tolerance to a tiered policy with varying consequences after each offense.

Consequences from non-compliance could include dismissal from the job, sending the employee home without pay, asking the employee to pay a fine, or something a bit more creative. Make sure any policy is well-defined, consistently enforced and in line with provincial labour laws.

Developing a fall protection program and ensuring that workers are appropriately trained are the first steps in combating compliance problems in the construction industry. Ontario is also implementing several measures to improve safety on construction sites.

Fall Protection Basics

Each year, falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry, and are always a major concern in other industries.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has specific regulations for employers whose workers are in danger of injury from falls on the jobsite. When a worker is exposed to a potential fall of 6 feet or greater, the employer must select either a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system to protect the worker from a fall.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems

A Personal Fall Arrest System is made up of 3 key components: an anchorage connector; body wear; and a connecting device.

The Anchorage is commonly referred to as a tie-off point (Ex: I-beam, rebar, scaffolding, lifeline, etc.). The Anchorage Connector is used to join the connecting device to the anchorage (Ex: cross-arm strap, beam anchor, D-bolt, hook anchor, etc.).

Anchorages must be capable of supporting 5,000 pounds (22kN) of force per worker and must be high enough for a worker to avoid contact with a lower level should a fall occur. The anchorage connector should be positioned to avoid a “swing fall.”

Body Wear is the actual personal protective equipment worn by the worker (Ex: full-body harness).

The only form of body wear acceptable for fall arrest is the full-body harness. Body wear should be selected based on work to be performed and the work environment. Side and front D-rings are for positioning only.

The Connecting Device is the critical link which joins the body wear to the anchorage/anchorage connector (Ex: shock-absorbing lanyard, fall limiter, self-retracting lifeline, rope grab, etc.).

Potential fall distance must be calculated to determine type of connecting device to be used – typically, under 18-1/2 ft. (5.6m), always use a self-retracting lifeline/fall limiter; over 18-1/2 ft. (5.6m), use a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline/fall limiter. The connecting device should also be selected based on work to be performed and the work environment. Shock-absorbing lanyards can expand up to 3-1/2 ft. (1.1m) when arresting a fall; attach lanyards to the harness back D-ring only; never tie a knot in any web lanyard – it reduces the strength by 50%.