Keeping Workers Safe at Heights – PPE and Fall Protection Training

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Keeping Workers Safe at Heights PPE and Fall
Protection Training
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Whatever industry you work in, keeping your
workers safe is of paramount importance. Of
course, you need to keep in compliance with
Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) standards. Failing to comply and allowing
workers to be injured can carry stiff financial
penalties. As youre well aware, OSHA keeps a
close watch on industry when it comes to the
safety and well-being of employees. And OSHA
believes that far too many preventable injuries,
illnesses, and deaths occur in the workplace.
Accidents and exposures that could have been
easily prevented if proper measures and training
had been implemented. But penalties aside, we
need to understand the impact that workplace
illnesses and injuries have, not just on the
employee, but on their families as well. Nobody
wants to get the call that their spouse, loved
one, parent or sibling has been injured, or even
killed, due to a workplace accident. Along with
the financial hardships incurredwhich may or may
not be overcome easilythe emotional damage done
will stay with them forever.
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OSHAs Most Frequently Cited Workplace Standards
Violations
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration
recently published their top 10 most recently
cited standards for Fiscal Year 2021. The list
was also presented at the 2021 NSC Safety
Congress Expo by Patrick Kapust, Deputy
Director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement
Programs. For the eleventh year in a row, fall
protection (29 CFR 1926.501) remains at the top
of the list, as presented on the official OSHA
website. In Fiscal Year 2021, there were a
reported 5,295 violations cited. The sixth most
cited violation was fall protection training
requirements, with over sixteen hundred citations
issued. Why have fall protection violations
remained at the top for so long? Well, its
interesting to note that fall protection training
moved up in the list, being cited as the 8
violation in 2019. It might be safe to infer that
a lack of proper fall protection training has led
to fall protection violations continuing reign
at the top of the citation heap. By the way
ladders and scaffolding citations in construction
came as the third and fifth most cited
violations, respectively.
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What Your Team Needs to Know About Working at
Heights
Remember that number 6 on OSHAs top 10 list
addressed the lack of training for fall
protection. (By the way, some websites say that
lockout/tagout is 6 and fall protection training
violations is 7. This article is based on the
official OSHA website information. Either way
its a problem to address.) The fact is that you
cant just send people into situations that
require fall protection knowledge without
ensuring they know the score. That means workers
working at heights must know everything from when
to use fall protection gear to how to use it
properly. OSHA construction safety training needs
to be an important part of on-the-job training,
and even pre-job instruction. Its not enough to
know how to perform job site tasks. Crew members
must know and understand how to work safely as
well. This is actually important in any general
industry where employees must work at heights, as
much as it is critical at construction sites.
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What Your Team Needs to Know About Working at
Heights
So, just what does working at heights mean,
anyway? You might be picturing workers perched
high off the ground on top of a multi-story
building. And certainly, thats one scenario. But
according to OSHA regulations, the height where
some form of fall protection is necessary is
above 4 feet in general industry and above 6 feet
in construction industry. And remember, that
could be from the ground level, not necessarily
high in the air on a platform or
rooftop. Sometimes a personal fall arrest system
(PFAS) isnt required and may even get in the
way. For example, you likely wouldnt use a fall
protection harness to climb stairs, walk across
catwalks, or work on a stationary platform. Fall
protection in the form of guardrails, hand rails,
and toe-boards would provide the required
protection. Note, however, that climbing some
fixed ladders may require fall protection gear.
Again, this shows how important properly
conducted OSHA training programs are, not only to
inform workers, but keep confusion to a minimum
as well.
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What Your Team Needs to Know About Working at
Heights

• Some of the topics that construction workers will
  need to know and understand are
• How to select the correct fall protection PPE
  components for the job
• How to do a daily inspection on critical parts of
  a PFAS
• How to don and doff fall protection harnesses
  properly
• How to hook up correctly to anchorage points when
  working at heights
• Recognition and identification of fall hazards
• What to do in the event of a fall, either their
  own or that of a coworker
• In the first pointhow to select the correct fall
  protection PPEits necessary to know that there
  are different styles of safety harnesses, each
  designed for a particular application. For
  example, D-ring placement is often determined by
  the application in which the harness is used.
  Back mounted D-rings are standard, and will be
  used to attach lanyards, both stationary and
  self-retracting, as well as attachment points for
  fall recovery operations.
• If the construction worker will be routinely
  climbing fixed vertical ladders in which a
  vertical-ladder climbing system is installed, a
  front mounted attachment point will be necessary.
  D-rings attached to the sides are used for
  attaching positioning belts.

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What Your Team Needs to Know About Working at
Heights
Even the choice of lanyard is often dependent on
the job site application. The two basic types are
fixed-length energy absorbing lanyards, and
self-retracting lanyards called SRLs. SRLs give
the most possible range of movement and come in a
variety of lengths. Web-style SRLs are often used
indoors, while cable-style SRLs are used in
outdoor environments or in areas where more
durability against abrasions or high heat is
required. If using shock-absorbing lanyards,
the worker must be anchored at least 17.5 to 18
feet above the next surface. These lanyards have
coiled up webbing that is pulled from a pouch to
slow down and absorb the shock of the fall at the
end. Obviously, if a lanyard doesnt fully deploy
before the worker hits the ground, serious foot,
leg, and back injuries could be incurred.
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Best Practices for Training Workers in Fall
Protection and Other Safety Topics
Training your construction crew is vitally
important. And its important that it be done
correctly and to OSHA specifications. Yes, OSHA
does have specific recommendations and
requirements for any type of safety training. 29
CFR 1926, Subpart C, standard number 1926.21
addresses the general requirements and employer
responsibilities for safety training. As for the
responsibilities 1926.21(b)(2) The employer
shall instruct each employee in the recognition
and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the
regulations applicable to his work environment to
control or eliminate any hazards or other
exposure to illness or injury. Train workers
about job hazards in a language that they can
understand. In almost every standard regarding
training in any safety topic, youll find that
one common theme. The training must be
understandable by the employee, regardless of
language, educational level, or other personal
circumstances. Not only that, but, the training
must also be documented properly and records
retained 1926.503(b)(2) The latest training
certification shall be maintained.
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Best Practices for Training Workers in Fall
Protection and Other Safety Topics
Training your construction crew is vitally
important. And its important that it be done
correctly and to OSHA specifications. Yes, OSHA
does have specific recommendations and
requirements for any type of safety training. 29
CFR 1926, Subpart C, standard number 1926.21
addresses the general requirements and employer
responsibilities for safety training. As for the
responsibilities 1926.21(b)(2) The employer
shall instruct each employee in the recognition
and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the
regulations applicable to his work environment to
control or eliminate any hazards or other
exposure to illness or injury. Train workers
about job hazards in a language that they can
understand. In almost every standard regarding
training in any safety topic, youll find that
one common theme. The training must be
understandable by the employee, regardless of
language, educational level, or other personal
circumstances. Not only that, but, the training
must also be documented properly and records
retained 1926.503(b)(2) The latest training
certification shall be maintained.
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Best Practices for Training Workers in Fall
Protection and Other Safety Topics
There are resources on the OSHA website you can
use to form a qualified training program. Some
companies do that. It can be time-consuming to
say the least. Another option that many
employers are turning to is hiring training
companies that specifically specialize in
compliant safety training. These companies are
equipped and prepared to ensure all employees
understand the ins and outs of the safety topics
presented. While many in-person training
programs are held at the employers on-site
location, an increasing number of OSHA online
training courses are offered that can be accessed
by individuals via computer, laptop, tablet, or
smartphone. The employees are able to study at
their own pace, take certification tests online,
and those tests are stored in a database to
satisfy OSHAs documentation retention
requirements. The cost of these programs is
minimal compared to the potential costs
associated with injuries, deaths, and OSHA
penalties. Safety doesnt cost on the
construction site it pays off with huge
dividends. Article provided by Fred Pineda,
American Safety Associates, LLC. ASA provides its
customers with quality safety products including
fall protection harnesses and gear, respiratory
protection products, PPE wear, and first aid
products.
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