Fall Protection

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Fall Protection
Protecting the Safety Health of Hispanic
Workers www.hispanicsworksafe.org
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(No Transcript)
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Falls from heights cause serious injuries or death
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Good news Falls can be prevented!
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This training may save your life
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After completing this unit, you will

• Have a better understanding of the potential fall
  hazards you face as a construction worker
• Be able to recognize a fall situation
• Understand the fall protection methods available

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What should you know about?

• Fall-related hazards
• Personal Protective Equipment (PFAs)
• Guardrails
• Safety nets
• Openings floors, walls
• Roofs excavations

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The reality
Workplace falls that result in death are
occurring more frequently!
Falls occur throughout all areas of industry, not
only construction
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Unfortunately
Falls are the leading cause of on-the-job deaths
in construction. Sixty percent (60)of all falls
could have been preventable by fall protection
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Falls in Construction

• Falls from as little as 4 to 6 feet (1.3m 1.8m)
  can cause serious lost-time accidents and
  sometimes death
• Open-sided floors and platforms 6 feet (1.8m) or
  more in height must be guarded

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Falls in Construction

• Falls happen from one level to another or on the
  same level
• One-third require hospitalization
• Some never return to work

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Falls in Construction
What Causes Falls?
91 - no fall protection worn 82 - no fall
protection in place 79 - wore harness or belt
but not attached 75 - loss of footing, balance,
or grip
Fall-related injuries that do not kill you might
cause severe paralysis or leave you disable for
the rest of your life
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Fall Protection Requirements
Most work 6 feet above levels to which you could
fall
Ramps Runways Walkways Excavations Hoist
areas Holes Formwork Reinforcing steel
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Examples
Floor Holes

• Cover completely and securely
• If no cover, can guard with a guardrail

Improperly Covered!
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Examples
Guard ramps, runways, and other walkways
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Examples
Excavations
Guard excavations more than 6 feet deep when they
are not readily seen because of plant growth or
other visual barriers
In addition to needing guarding, this excavation
is not properly shored!
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Fall Protection Requirements
Most work 6 feet above levels to which you could
fall
Leading edges Unprotected sides or edges Overhand
bricklaying Roofing Pre-cast concrete
erection Wall openings Residential
construction Dangerous equipment
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Examples
Unprotected sides and edges must have guardrails
or equivalent
Unprotected edge
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Examples
Sky Lights and Other Openings

• Holes more than 6 feet high must be protected
• This opening could be made safe by using a
  guardrail, or strong cover

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Examples
Concrete Forms and Rebar

• Use PFAS when working on formwork or rebar
• Cover or cap protruding rebar

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Roofs
Examples
If workers perform work on roofs and can fall
more than 6 feet (1.8 mt), they must be protected!
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Examples
Wall Openings
Wall opening
If worker performs work near wall openings 6 feet
or more above lower levels they must be protected
from falling
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Who needs Fall-Protection?

• Any construction worker working higher than six
  feet off the ground must use a fall protection
  device (e.g. safety harness and line)
• Standard covers virtually every small residential
  builder and roofing contractor

Lots of fall injuries are caused by falls from
less than 10 feet
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Fall Protection Methods

• Fall Prevention - keeps workers, tools, or
  materials from falling off, onto, or through
  working levels
• Fall Arrest - catches workers, tools, or
  materials after they have fallen, before they
  strike a lower level

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Methods of Fall Protection Examples

• Fall Prevention -
• Guardrails
• Hole covers
• Fall Arrest -
• Personal Fall Arrest Systems
• Safety Nets

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Fall prevention or Fall arrest?
Fall arrest
Fall arrest with swing
Fall Arrest
prevents death but may still cause serious
injuries from the arresting forces or swing falls
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Fall prevention or Fall arrest?
Guardrail
Fall Prevention
is better!
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What is a Personal fall arrest system (PFAs)?
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Personal fall arrest system (PFAs) components
Lanyard with deceleration device
A deceleration device makes the fall stop slowly!
Anchor
Connectors
Full body harness
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Anchor
The anchor is perhaps the most important fall
protection system component!

• The anchor must support a
• minimum load of 5,000 pounds (2,265 kilos),
  approximately the weight of a mid-sized
  four-wheel-drive pickup truck.
• Or, be designed by a QUALIFIED person with a
  safety factor of two times the impact force of a
  worker free falling 6 feet (1.8mt)

It is not easy to find anchors strong enough to
withstand the impact of arresting forces
A COMPETENT person must supervise the selection
and installation of anchors
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Fall Protection Terms

• Anchorage
• Body belt

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Fall Protection Terms

• Body harness

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Fall Protection Terms

• Guardrail system a barrier erected to prevent
  workers from falling to lower levels

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Guardrails
Top Rail Mid- Rail Toeboard
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Handrail and Top rail strength
Rails must be able to withstand a force of 200
pounds (440 kg)
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Fall Protection Terms

• Hole a void or gap 2 inches (5.1 cm.) or more in
  the least dimension in a floor, roof, or other
  walking working surface

• Lanyard a flexible line of rope, wire rope, or
  strap that generally has a connector at each end
  for connecting the body belt or body harness to a
  deceleration device, lifeline, or anchorage

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Fall Protection Terms

• Low-slope roof a roof having a slope less than
  or equal to 412 (vertical to horizontal)

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Fall Protection Terms

• Steep roof a roof having a slope greater than
  412 (vertical to horizontal)

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Fall Protection Terms

• Personal fall arrest system a system including
  an anchorage, connectors, and a body belt or body
  harness used to arrest a worker in a fall from a
  working level

As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for
fall arrest is prohibited
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Fall Protection Terms

• Toeboard a low protective barrier that prevents
  material and equipment from falling to lower
  levels and which protects workers from falling

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Fall Protection Terms

• Warning line system a barrier erected on a roof
  to warn workers that they are approaching an
  unprotected roof side or edge and which
  designates an area in which roofing work may take
  place without the use of guardrail, body belt, or
  safety net systems to protect workers in the area

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Fall Protection Terms
Safety Nets
Place as close as possible, but no more than 30
feet (9.1 mt.) below where workers work
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Fall Protection Planning
Fall protection systems and work practices must
be in place before work starts!
Lanyards and PFAS in use
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Training
Employers must provide fall protection training

• The training is to teach the worker
• How to recognize hazards
• How to minimize hazards
• The training must cover
• Fall hazards
• Fall protection systems
• Use of fall protection devices

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And dont forget!
Our families need us!
Everyday, they expect us to return home safe and
healthy.
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Questions?
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Training Evaluation
What did you like about this training?
What suggestions do you have for changes?
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Acknowledgements
This training program was developed by
Hispanics Work Safewww.hispanicsworksafe.org
How to contact us? Maria Julia
Brunette Department of Work Environment
University of Massachusetts LowellOne
University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854Phone
978-934-3248 Fax [phone]Email
Maria_Brunette_at_uml.edu
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Acknowledgements
This training program was funded by grants
from Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
This material was produced under grant number
46A3-HT15 from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.  It
does not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor
does mention of trade names, commercial products,
or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.