Falling accounts for about 1/3 of fatalities on residential jobsites. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls from roofs, scaffolds, and concrete structures killed nearly 445 construction workers in 2004. A typical construction site is fraught with dangers related to falling, from excavations to leading edges to openings in roofs. Construction managers have the job of managing the risk of falling and taking precautions to ensure the safety of employees and trades on the jobsite.
Here are common situations where construction workers are at a high risk of falling:
Excavations. Workers can be injured by falling into excavations. They can also be impaled by reinforcing steel in the excavation.
Open sides and edges. Workers are at risk of falling from roofs and floors with open sides and edges or from framed, concrete, or block walls.
Openings. Workers can fall out of openings for windows, skylights, dormers, and stairwells.
Dangerous work. The risk of falling increases when workers are engaged in certain types of work, such as framing over a leading edge or laying bricks overhand from a scaffold.
A personal fall arrest system, or PFAS, is one effective way to protect workers. A PFAS consists of a full body harness that workers fasten with a lanyard to a secure anchorage. The webbing in the body harness should be made from synthetic fibers and be free of cuts and abrasions. Anchorage points should be able to withstand 5,000 pounds without breaking. It's crucial to inspect and maintain PFAS's and to train workers on how to use them.
Inspection
The Occupational and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that PFAS’s be routinely inspected before each use by a person qualified to identify hazards and take prompt corrective measures. A qualified person should check for frayed edges, cuts, breaks, or chemical damage in the harness belt and lanyard.
Maintenance
Workers should also be aware of the effects of heat and chemicals on PFAS’s and avoid damaging them. For instance, direct sunlight can make nylon brittle. Or, of paint dries on lanyard fibers, it will limit their movement and reduce the effectiveness of the PFAS. To maintain PFAS’s, store them in a clean, dry area, where they won’t be exposed to corrosive chemicals or fumes. Keep PFAS’s away from excessive heat, and regularly wipe them clean with a sponge soaked in a mild solution of soap and water.
Training
Often, it isn’t faulty equipment but inadequate training that puts workers at risk of falling. One of the reasons falling accidents occur frequently is that workers haven’t received proper training in how to use PFAS’s. Builders can take advantage of training programs offered by OSHA and private training companies that specialize in fall protection and can require that their employees and trade partners receive training.
If workers can detect falling hazards, recognize the situations in which they should wear fall protection, and properly use and inspect PFAS’s, they can greatly reduce their risk of falling on a jobsite. For more information about PFAS’s, visit the Occupational Safety and Health Administration site.
For more Best Practices® that help construction managers protect their teams from OSHA's most commonly cited jobsite hazards can be found in BuildIQ University’s Jobsite Safety Suite of online training courses.
