Module 2 Fall Hazards

1. Module 2 Fall Hazards Did you know?Falls from elevationaccount for one thirdof all deathsin construction. Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

2. Training Employers must provide fall protection training • The training is to teach you: • How to recognize hazards • How to minimize hazards The training must cover: • Fall hazards • Fall protection systems • Use of fall protection devices Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

3. In 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 1,224 construction workers died on the job, with 36 percent of those fatalities resulting from falls. Falls may result from a number of factors, including unstable working surfaces, misuse of fall protection equipment, and human error. Studies have shown that the use of guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers, and travel restriction systems can prevent many of the deaths and injuries that result from falls Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

4. “An employee fell from a stepladder and was impaled on a 33” high steel stanchion…” “An employee fell approximately 12 feet while setting trusses on a new home…” These are real fatal incidents The people talked about here did not make it home the day of the accident. “An employee fell while trying to climb down the side of a home under construction…” “An employee fell 20 feet from a steel structure…” Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

5. Top Fall Protection Citations(FY 2005) Scaffolding General Fall Protection Scope Ladders Fall protection training Manually propelled scaffolds - Lifts Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc Citation statistics from Federal OSHA data for OSHA fiscal year 2005

6. Causes of Fall-Related Fatalities • Unprotected sides, edges and holes • Improperly constructed walking/working surfaces • Improper use of access equipment • Failure to properly use PFAS • Slips,Trips & Falls (housekeeping) Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

7. Case study A steel erection worker, working approximately 51' above the surface below, fell causing fatal injuries. The worker was sitting (straddling) an I- beam, using the pointed end of a spud wrench to align bolt holes of two beams that where to be bolted together. The worker was wearing a full body harness, along with a tether line and a 5/8" steel safety line. The steel safety line and tether were not attached to a tie off point and/or to the beam. The worker was not tied off. During the work process of aligning the bolt holes the worker dropped his spud wrench. The worker then used a "sleeving" bar to finish the alignment work. The bar slipped out of the bolt hole as the worker placed pressure on to it. When the bar slipped, the worker lost his balance and fell. Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

8. Falls in Construction Falls are the leading cause of deaths in the construction industry. Most fatalities occur when employees fall from open-sided floors and through floor openings. Falls from as little as 4 to 6 feet can cause serious lost-time injuries and sometimes death. Open-sided floors and platforms 6 feet or more in height must be guarded. Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

9. Other challenges of fall protection • Working in a manufacturing facility brings a different set of challenges to fall protection. Most of the work performed in an existing facility requires workers to perform on cat walks, above existing production tools, and in the immediate vicinity of various types of dangerous chemicals and gases. The problem of providing fall protection is amplified by the danger of falling on, and perhaps breaking, the piping systems that carry them. Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

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11. Fall Protection Hierarchyin order of effectiveness • ELIMINATION • PREVENTION • FALL ARREST • WARNING LINES • SAFETY - MONITORING • ADMINISTRATION Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

12. Duty to Have Fall Protection1926.501 (b) • Protection is required for: • Unprotected sides & edges • Leading edges • Ramps, runways, other walkways • Steep roofs • Residential construction • Roofing work • Excavations, wells, pits & shafts Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

13. SUBPART M - Fall Protection Major Points • Open sided floors require guardrails at 6 feet. • Guard wall openings if the inside bottom edge is less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface • Floor openings and holes are to be covered at all times. • Floor covers must withstand twice the anticipated load. • Fall protection is required if the worker may fall on dangerous equipment Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

14. Fall Protection - Residential Construction In residential construction, you must be protected if you can fall more than 6 feet Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

15. Sky Lights and Other Openings “An employee servicing an evaporative cooler fell through an unprotected skylight, 30 feet to the concrete floor ” • Holes more than 6 feet high must be protected • This opening could be made safe by using a • guardrail, or strong cover Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

16. Floor Holes “An employee fell approximately 17 feet during roof deck installation…” Improperly Covered • Cover completely and securely • If no cover, can guard with a guardrail • Twice the anticipated load Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

17. Good Work Practices • Perform work at ground level if possible Example: building prefab roofs on the ground and lifting into place with a crane • Tether or restrain workers so they can't reach the edge • Designate and use safety monitors (This is the least desirable of all the systems) • Use conventional fall protection Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc

18. Summary • If you can fall more than 6 feet, you must be protected • Use fall protection on: • walkways & ramps, open sides & edges, holes, concrete forms & rebar, excavations, roofs, wall openings, bricklaying, residential construction • Protective measures include guardrails, covers, safety nets, and Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS) Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc