When and Why do I Need Fall Protection?

When work is performed on elevated surfaces that are six feet or more above the surrounding area in a construction setting or four feet or more in an industrial setting, protection against falls must be considered. Fall arresting systems, which include lifelines, body harnesses, and other associated equipment, are often used when fall hazards cannot be controlled by railings, floors, nets, and other means. These systems are designed to quickly stop a fall while limiting the forces imposed on the people they protect.

The Dangers

Falls from any raised surface to any surface below are considered falls from an elevation. This training will not examine falls from the same level (slips, trips, etc., where the worker falls to the surface on which they were working). While falls from the same level are more common, falls from an elevation generally result in more severe injuries.

The elements that make a fall dangerous include the body weight of the worker, the shock absorption at impact, and the free fall or uncontrolled falling distance the worker falls before impact. In the event that you start to fall the best response is to relax, go limp, and do not resist the fall. This will spread out the impact over time and space, overall reducing the potential for injuries as well as prevent any additional injuries due to attempts to catch yourself.

How Serious is the Danger?

• Falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities in the construction industry.

• In 2016, 697 workers died from falls to a lower level and 48,060 were injured badly enough to require days off work.

• General Industry is not exempt from the severity of fall danger, however. Healthy workers have died from falls of less than 4 feet.

• At SUU, the leading cause of injury every year since 2014 has been fall-related.

• These tragedies and many others like them could have been prevented with the use of proper fall protection, including fall prevention awareness.

Types of Fall Protection

Covers:

All floor openings 4 feet or more above the floor below must have a cover. Covers must be strong enough to hold up twice the weight of the heaviest load they will be subjected to. Covers should be fastened down to prevent accidental displacement. They should also have warning messages painted on them.

Guardrails:

Guardrails are special rails made to guard against falls. The top rail should be 42 inches high (+/- 3 Inches) and be able to withstand 200 lbs. of force in any direction. There must be a mid-rail 21 inches high and able to withstand 150 lbs. of force in any direction.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems:

Personal fall arrest systems (PFASs) consist of a body harness, lanyard, lifeline, connector, and anchorage point and may also have a deceleration device. A body belt is NOT an OSHA compliant component of a PFAS. Body belts may be used for fall restraint systems only such as in the basket of a Boom Lift. A body harness is a safer way to distribute the forces of a fall arrest. A lanyard is a flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap which generally has a connector at each end. Any snap hooks used should be types that lock. SUU Facilities Management Safety and Risk uses Self Retracting Lanyards (SRLs) in lieu of traditional lanyards to aid in both fall restraint and fall arrest if needed.

Positioning Devices:

Positioning devices consist of a body harness rigged to allow a worker to work on a steep or vertical surface with both hands free.

Safety Monitoring:

On shallow inclines you may only need someone to watch your back. A safety monitor must be competent, able to recognize hazards and warn you of them directly. Generally, Safety Monitoring should be used in conjunction with other fall protection systems like a warning line or guardrail.

Safety Net Systems:

Safety nets must be installed as close as possible below the work surface no more than 30 feet below with plenty of clearance under the net. The mesh in safety nets must have openings no larger than 6 inches by 6 inches.

Warning Line Systems:

A warning line system  makes use of simple barriers to outline an area on an elevated work platform where it is safe to work without the use of other forms of fall protection. Access to areas without guardrails, PFASs, or safety net systems that are protected only by warning line systems must be restricted to individuals who have received fall protection training. This is what constitutes a controlled access zone.

Toeboards:

A toeboard is a low protective barrier that will prevent the fall of materials and equipment to lower levels and provide protection from falls for personnel. A toeboard is only effective as long as it is tall enough and strong enough to block any materials from rolling or sliding off the edge.

It is each employee's responsibility to inspect PFAS elements including the body harness and lanyard prior to each use. All PFAS elements will be inspected annually by Facilities Safety and Risk Management.

PFAS Inspection Checklist