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OSHA requires that anyone working more than six feet above the ground must be "tied off" to prevent dangerous falls.
Photo courtesy of BuildIQ
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Fall protection is a deadly serious business. In fact, falling from heights is the leading cause of work-related deaths on job sites, responsible for one out of three deaths in construction. But despite the obvious dangers, lack of proper fall protection is among the top five violations cited by the Occupation Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.
"Knowing the dangers associated with construction, OSHA considers fall protection violations a high priority," says Gwendolyn Luscavage, product division director of Hy-Safe Technology, a Union Grove, Wis., provider of turnkey fall-protection systems and services, including training.
The responsibility for fall protection extends all the way from the top management of a construction company to the hourly worker, says Gwen. "It has to be in your culture," she says. "It can’t be the ‘Program of the Month.’"
No more safety cops
Gwen recommends that front-line supervisors need to change from being safety cops to safety coaches, Gwen says. Old-time methods–simply demanding that workers wear fall protection or be fired–won’t work. Their response will be to wear it only when the supervisor is around, she says.
"Supervisors have to identify unsafe behaviors, define the unsafe behaviors, and inform employees what is expected," Gwen noted at a recent Construction Safety Conference in Chicago, sponsored by the Construction Safety Council.
Management must seek out employee input and reward them for correct, safe behavior Gwen offered the example of an employee standing on an upended cinder block to work, stressing that the supervisor must insist that the employee get a ladder.
And management must lead by example. That means managers must be tied off when working or inspecting anything more than six feet above the ground, and they must follow all other safety regulations themselves. (Once a worker steps off a ladder and onto a platform, OSHA requires guard rails around the platform or a gate at the step-off point. Additionally, OSHA has requirements for ladder specifications, scaffolding, manlifts and more.)
For their part, construction workers should ask questions about safety, keep an open mind, provide feedback to management, and support fellow workers who do wear safety equipment, Gwen says.
Proper training will convince workers to accept the concept of fall protection, Gwen says. Training will do the following:
- Teach supervisors and employees to recognize fall hazards in the workplace.
- Direct employees toward an understanding of the purpose of fall-protection systems and their limitations.
- Review the requirements of your fall-protection program.
- Train employees in the use, care, operation, and inspection of fall-protection systems.
- Guide the role of employees in fall emergency plans–what to do if someone does fall even though he is tied off.
"Training will explain the need for times to don and doff a harness and set up the equipment," Gwen says. "Use the equipment properly. The equipment has limitations—restrictions on weight, mobility, and the number of users. Manage your workers and ensure that they understand exactly what their fall protection can and cannot do."
There are many different types of fall protection equipment available. Gwen recommends finding the type that employees like well enought to use. "If they still balk, try pointing out some consequences instead: 'Your harness is not comfortable? Would you prefer a a body cast? Or maybe a casket"
For more information on safety standards for fall prevention, visit http://www.osha.gov/Publications/Homebuilders/Homebuilders.html#subm or BuildIQ at www.buildiq.com.
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