In an industry that’s full of many safety risks, such as the construction industry, safety equipment and fall protection is vital at every job site. Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. Each year over 100,000 injuries and deaths are attributed to work related falls. Every employer has the responsibility to act and ensure the protection of their workers.
The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act SEC. 5. Duties 29 USC 654 states that each employer 1) “shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees…”
In addition to having to comply with the General Duty Clause, each employer must comply with all safety OSHA standards, including fall protection standards. Any time a worker is at a height of four feet or more, the worker is at risk and needs to be protected. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction (29 CFR 1910, 29 CFR 1926).
Although general contractors often work with subcontractors, the company that holds supervisory control over the worksite must be responsible to prevent and detect all safety violations, whether or not those violations directly affect their own personal employees. This is even more important when the supervising company has the power to correct safety and health violations. If the subcontractor is considered an employee of the general contractor, OSHA holds the right to cite the general contractor for any violations.
It is important for general contractors to have a fall protection safety program in place. A fall protection plan must be well established and enforced. The fall protection program should provide a method to: identify, evaluate and eliminate or control fall hazards. The fall protection program should also ensure: effective training of personnel exposed to fall hazards, proper installation and use of installed fall protection systems, rescue systems and rescue procedures. There should be someone who is responsible for monitoring accountability and enforcing 100 percent tie off policy. In addition to this there must be a competent person who is capable of identifying hazardous or dangerous conditions in the personal fall arrest system or any component thereof, as well as in their application and use with related equipment.
All outside contractors working in or on the premises should be required to follow the guidelines set forth in the fall protection program. Contractors in post-award meetings should also be informed of these requirements as well as any other on-site construction rules. Workers should also be reminded of all fall protection and safety rules on a consistent basis. A great way to do this is toolbox talks that continuously educate workers. Toolbox talks are generally short, interesting, and relevant.
Many companies now realize that injuries and prevention have an influence on indirect and direct costs, such as workers compensation, quality,
OSHA fines, insurance rates and productivity. Studies show that a good safety program can save $4 to $6 for every $1 invested. An enforced fall protection program will lead to decreased falls and accidents, improved employee morale and productivity and ultimately better cost control.
 Hy-Safe's Mr. Fall No More Teaches the Importance of Safety Hy-Safe is a turnkey fall protection provider single source for risk assessments, custom design, engineering, fabrication, training and annual recertification. As a fall protection leader, we work hard every day to provide the utmost in customer service, while bringing to you innovative solutions and the highest quality fall protection equipment. Every Hy-Safe engineered fall protection system is 100% safe, OSHA compliant, and meets ANSI standards. Call us today for a free assessment of your company! 800.642.0775 www.hysafe.com info@hysafe.com
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