Title: Preventing slips, trips and falls
1Preventing slips, trips and falls
2Objectives
- List the leading causes of slips, trips and falls
in an office or industrial setting. - List the leading causes of slips, trips and falls
in a construction setting. - List the steps in preventing slips, trips and
falls in the workplace.
3Definitions
- Slip To slide involuntarily and lose one's
balance or foothold - Trip A stumble or fall, usually at the same
level - Fall To lose an upright or erect position
suddenly this can be to the same level or a
different level
42007 fatalities by accident type
Current numbers from Jan. 1, 2007, to July 31,
2007
5The regulations
- 1910.21 - Definitions
- 1910.22 - General requirements
- 1910.23 - Guarding floor and wall openings and
holes - 1910.24 - Fixed industrial stairs
- 1910.25 - Portable wood ladders
- 1910.26 - Portable metal ladders
- 1910.27 - Fixed ladders
- 1910.28 - Safety requirements for scaffolding
- 1910.29 - Manually propelled mobile ladder stands
and scaffolds (towers) - 1910.30 - Other working surfaces
- 1910 Subpart D - Authority for 1910 Subpart D
6Office environments
- Floor coverings such as rugs, mats and carpets
should be in good repair and lay flat on the
floor. - Close drawers when not in use.
- Securely fasten telephone, computer and extension
cords out of the way. - Properly store or dispose of boxes, files, papers
and other material that can end up on the floor.
7Walking and working surfaces
- Keep aisles and passageways clear and in good
repair with no obstructions across or in aisles
that could create a hazard. - Mark permanent aisles and passageways
appropriately. - Where mechanical handling equipment is used,
aisles should be sufficiently wide. Improper
aisle widths coupled with poor housekeeping and
vehicle traffic can cause injury to employees,
damage equipment and material, and can block
emergency pathways.
8General requirementsCovers and guardrails
- Provide covers and/or guardrails to protect
workers from the hazards of open pits, tanks,
vats, ditches and the like. - Protect skylights to prevent workers from falling
through them.
9General requirementsFloor loading protection
- Mark load-rating limits on plates and post
conspicuously. - It is unlawful to place, or cause, or permit to
be placed, on any floor or roof of a building or
other structure, a load greater than that for
which the floor or roof is approved.
10Determining an opening
- Floor hole An opening measuring less than 12
inches but more than 1 inch in its smallest
dimension in any floor, platform, pavement or
yard through which materials but not workers
may fall. - Floor opening An opening measuring 12 inches or
more in its smallest dimension in any floor,
platform, pavement or yard through which
workers may fall. - Platform A working space elevated above the
surrounding floor or ground for workers. - Wall hole An opening less than 30 inches but
more than 1 inch high, of unrestricted width, in
any wall or partition. - Wall opening An opening at least 30 inches high
and 18 inches wide, in any wall or partition,
through which workers may fall.
11Protection for floor openings
- Provide standard railings on all exposed sides of
a stairway opening, except at the stairway
entrance. - For infrequently used stairways, where traffic
across the opening prevents the use of a fixed
standard railing, the guard shall consist of a
hinged floor opening cover of standard strength
and construction along with removable standard
railings on all exposed sides, except at the
stairway entrance.
12Protection for floor openings
- A standard railing consists of a top rail, mid
rail and posts. It should have a vertical height
of 42 inches nominal from the upper surface of
the top rail to the floor, platform, runway or
ramp level. The nominal height of a mid rail is
21 inches. - A standard toeboard is 4 inches nominal in
vertical height, with not more than ΒΌ-inch
clearance above floor level.
13Protection for floor openings
- Floor openings may be covered rather than guarded
with rails. - When the floor opening cover is removed
- Put a temporary guardrail in place, or
- Station an attendant at the opening to warn
personnel. - Guard every floor hole into which workers can
accidentally walk by either - A standard railing with toeboard, or
- A floor hole cover of standard strength and
construction.
14Protection of open-sided floors and platforms
- Guard every open-sided floor or platform 4 feet
or more above adjacent floor/ground level by a
standard railing on all open sides. - Except where there is an entrance to a ramp,
stairway or fixed ladder - Provide the railing with a toeboard wherever,
beneath the open sides - Persons can pass
- There is moving machinery
- There is equipment with which falling materials
could create a hazard.
15Protection of open-sided floors and platforms
- Regardless of height, open-sided floors,
walkways, platforms or runways above or adjacent
to dangerous equipment, guard pickling or
galvanizing tanks, degreasing units and similar
hazards with a standard railing and toeboard.
16Stairway railings and guards
- Every flight of stairs with four or more risers
will have standard stair railings or standard
handrails. - On stairways less than 44 inches wide having both
sides enclosed, affix at least one handrail,
preferably on the right side descending. - On stairways less than 44 inches wide with one
open side, affix at least one stair rail on the
open side. - On stairways less than 44 inches wide having both
sides open, provide two stair rails, one for each
side. - On stairways more than 44 inches wide, but less
than 88 inches, provide one handrail on each
enclosed side and one stair rail on each open
side. - On stairways 88 inches or more in width, provide
one handrail on each enclosed side, one stair
rail on each open side and one intermediate stair
rail placed approximately in the middle of the
stairs.
17Standard stair railing
- The vertical height will be no more than 34
inches nor less than 30 inches from the upper
surface of the top rail to the surface of the
tread. - Mount the lengthwise member directly on a wall or
partition by means of brackets attached to the
lower side of the handrail to keep a smooth,
unobstructed surface along the top and both sides
of the handrail. - The supports for the rail will be 3 inches from
the wall and be no more than 8 feet apart. - The height of handrails will be no more than 34
inches nor less than 30 inches from the upper
surface of the handrail to the surface of the
tread
18Fixed industrial stairs
- Provide fixed industrial stairs for access to and
from places of work where operations necessitate
regular travel between levels. - OSHA requirements include
- Fixed industrial stairs strong enough to carry
five times the normal anticipated live load - At the very minimum, any fixed stairway will
safely carry a moving concentrated load of 1,000
pounds - All fixed stairways will have a minimum width of
22 inches - Fixed stairs will be installed at angles to the
horizontal of between 30 degrees and 50 degrees - Vertical clearance above any stair tread to an
overhead obstruction will be at least 7 feet
measured from the leading edge of the tread.
19Inspecting stairs
- Handrails and stair rails
- A. Lack of
- B. Placement
- C. Smoothness of surface
- D. Strength
- E. Clearance between rail and wall or other
object - Treads
- A. Strength
- B. Slip resistance
- C. Dimensions
- D. Evenness of surface
- E. Visibility of leading edge
20Inspecting stairs
- Improper/inadequate design, construction or
location of staircases - Wet, slippery, or damaged walking or grasping
surfaces - Improper illumination ... there is no general
OSHA standard for illumination levels. Consult
the Illuminating Engineering Societys
publications for recommendations. - Poor housekeeping
21Use of ladders
- Place ladders with a secure footing, or lash/hold
them in position. - Extend ladders used to gain access to a roof or
other area at least 3 feet above the point of
support. - Do not use the top of a regular stepladder as a
step. - Use both hands when climbing or descending
ladders. - Never use metal ladders near electrical equipment.
22Use of ladders
- Use the foot of a ladder, where possible, at such
a pitch that the horizontal distance from the top
support to the foot of the ladder is one-quarter
of the working length of the ladder (the length
along the ladder between the foot and the
support).
23Use of ladders
- Always face the ladder when climbing up or down.
- Do not splice short ladders together to make long
ladders. - Never work on ladders placed in the horizontal
position as scaffolds or work platforms.
24Introduction to fall protection
- A basic introduction to fall protection
25Fall protection standards in general industry
- 1910.23 Guarding floor and wall openings and
holes - 1910.66 Powered platforms for building
maintenance - App. A Guidelines (advisory)
- App. C Personal fall-arrest system (Section I -
mandatory Sections II and III - non-mandatory) - 1910.132 General requirements (personal
protective equipment) - 1910.269 Electric power generation, transmission
and distribution - References 1926 subpart M and contains additional
requirements for fall protection
26Frequently cited violations
- Failure to protect workers from falls of 6 feet
or more off unprotected sides or edges, e.g.
floors and roofs. (1926.501(b)(1) (b)(10) and
(b)(11)) - Failure to protect workers from falling into or
through holes and openings in floors and walls.
(1926.501(b)(4) and (b)(14)) - Failure to provide guardrails on runways and
ramps where workers are exposed to falls of 6
feet or more to a lower level. (1926.501(b)(6))
27Work positioning systems
- These systems are designed to hold and sustain
the user at a work location and limit the free
fall to 2 feet or less, as in rebar work or tree
trimming. Below are examples of typical
components of a work positioning system. - Body support Full-body harness
- Connecting component Chain or web rebar
assembly, rope or web lanyard - Anchorage connector Carabiner or snap hook
- Anchorage Rebar or support structure
28Restraint systems
- These are systems designed to prevent the user
from reaching an area where free fall could occur
so no free fall is possible, as in leading edge
roof work. Below are elements and examples of
restraint systems. - Body support Full-body harness or body belt
- Connecting component Rope or web lanyard
- Anchorage connector Carabiner, tie-off adapter,
roof anchor - Anchorage Beam or support structure
29Rescue systems
- These systems are designed to raise or lower a
user to safety in the event of an emergency, so
no free fall is possible (i.e. confined space
work). Below are the four elements of a rescue
system and examples - Body support Full-body harness
- Connecting component Lifeline (winch,
self-retracting lifeline) and Y-lanyard - Anchorage connector Tripod, davit arm
- Anchorage Support structure or surface
30Fall arrest
- These systems are designed to stop a free fall of
up to 6 feet, and limit the maximum forces of a
user to 1,800 pounds or less, as in steel
erection or elevated maintenance work. Below are
the four elements of a fall-arrest system and
examples. - Body support Full-body harness
- Connecting component Shock-absorbing lanyard,
self-retracting lifeline, rope grab - Anchorage connector Carabiner, tie-off adapter,
trolley, roof anchor - Anchorage Beam or support structure
31Suspension system
- These systems support and suspend the user while
being transported up or down vertically and will
not allow a free fall. Below are elements and
examples of suspension systems. - Body support Full-body harness and a boatswain's
chair - Connecting component Lifeline (rope, rescue
positioning device) rope or web lanyard - Anchorage connector Carabiner, tripod, davit arm
tie-off adapter - Anchorage Beam or support structure or surface
32A typical fall-arrest arrangement
- A typical system consists of
- An anchorage connector
- A shock-absorbing lanyard
- A full-body harness.
- You must attach the anchorage connector must to a
suitable and strong attachment point.
33Requirements for personal fall-arrest system
- Limit maximum arresting force on a worker to 900
pounds (4 KiloNewtons) when used with a body
belt. - Limit maximum arresting force on an employee to
1,800 pounds (8 KiloNewtons) when used with a
body harness. - Be rigged so that an employee can neither free
fall more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) nor contact
any lower level. - Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit
maximum deceleration distance an employee travels
to 3.5 feet (1.07 meters). - Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the
potential impact energy of an employee free
falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 meters) or the
free fall distance permitted by the system,
whichever is less.
34Common pieces of equipment
Rope and cable grabs
Self-retracting lifelines
Shock-absorbing lanyard
Carabiners
Cross-arm strap
Full-body harness
35Use of body belts
- Effective Jan. 1, 1998, body belts are prohibited
as a fall-arrest device. - You can use body belts as a positioning device.
36Dee-rings and snap hooks
- Dee-rings and snaphooks must have a minimum
tensile strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2
KiloNewtons). - Proof-test dee-rings and snaphooks to a minimum
tensile load of 3,600 pounds (16 KiloNewtons)
without cracking, breaking or suffering permanent
deformation. -
37Personal protective equipment
- Proper shoes are a major consideration in many
operations. - The nature of the walking surface should dictate
the type of footwear needed to increase traction
and reduce the potential for slips, trips and
falls. - Oil, water and other liquids, as well as dusts,
pellets and other small solids may require
special footwear as well as special housekeeping
and engineering design to reduce the potential
for slips, trips and falls.
38Additional training
- Extensive training is needed to fully understand
and use much of the fall-protection equipment
available. - A competent person must evaluate work conditions
to ensure safety when working in elevated
locations. - Most manufacturers provide very extensive
programs in fall protection.
39General requirementshousekeeping
- Keep all places of employment, passageways,
storerooms and service rooms clean and orderly,
and in a sanitary condition. - Maintain the floor of every workroom in a clean
and (so far as possible) dry condition. Where wet
processes are used, maintain drainage and
gratings, and provide mats or raised platforms. - Keep every floor, working place and passageway
free from protruding nails, splinters, holes or
loose boards.
40General requirementshousekeeping
- Place equipment needed for housekeeping, such as
mops, absorbents, brooms and trash containers, in
locations where they are frequently used and kept
available. - All levels of the organization should practice
good housekeeping measures whenever a condition
is noted that could results in a slip, trip or
fall.
41Human factors
- Eyesight
- Age
- Balance
- Medications, alcohol and drug effects
42Summary
- It is important to properly engineer walking and
working surfaces to avoid the potential for
slips, trips and falls. - Use proper fall-protection systems when working
on elevated surfaces. - Obtain and use proper personal protective
equipment to reduce the potential for falls. - Management should implement good housekeeping
practices and ensure its done on a regular basis. - Train employees in the prevention of slips, trips
and falls.
43Questions?