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The Different Types of Fall Protection Solutions
Working at heights is unavoidable in many industries, including construction, maintenance, and telecommunications....
What is fall protection training?
A&H Fall Protection Training provides you with the information you need to protect yourself and your fellow workers from the safety hazards that lead to falls. You’ll learn fall protection standards and definitions, including the differences between prevention, restraint, and arrest.
Who should take fall protection safety training?
This course was developed for construction and general industry workers who need to prevent falls at their workplace.
CalOSHA requires fall protection at 7 ½ ft., while Federal OSHA requires fall protection at 6 ft.
What are regulations does this course satisfy?
The A&H Fall Protection safety training satisfies fall protection guidelines set in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. This includes the written Fall Protection Plan (§1617.1), the requirements of fall protection (§1669-1672) and specifications of safety fixtures and openings in Subchapter 7 (§3209-3239).
OSHA Requirements
Before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, they must be trained in the following:
- The nature of the fall hazards in the work area and how to recognize them.
- The procedures to follow to minimize those hazards.
- The correct procedures for installing, inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall protection systems that the employee uses.
- The correct use of personal fall protection systems and equipment such as proper hook-up, anchoring and tie off techniques.
Active vs. Passive Fall Protection
- Passive Systems: A passive system is a stationary, non-dynamic, and immovable system such as guardrails, safety nets, and barricades. When installing and using a passive system for fall protection, there is no requirement for human involvement with the device, and no personal protective equipment is required.
- Active Systems: An active system is dynamic, contains moving parts, and requires human interaction. Active system can be implemented when passive fall protection isn’t feasible. For active systems to work, personal protective equipment is required. Examples of active systems include anchorage points, full-body harness, lifelines and lanyards, connectors, etc.
Most Common Workplace Fall Incidents
Construction falls are generally divided into two categories:
- those on the same level;
- falls to a lower level.
While falls on the same level generally result in relatively minor injuries, falls to a lower level frequently cause serious injury or even death. Most falls that occur on the same level are caused by tripping over an obstacle, while falls to a lower level often involve ladders, scaffolds, roofing work, elevated platforms, and more.
What Industries Use Fall Protection?
- Construction
- Transportation
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Agriculture
What are the ABC's of Fall Arrest Systems?
- Anchorage: These are a secure point of attachment. The anchor is what the worker attaches to and it what provides the foundation strength for the fall arrest system.
- Body Support: Body support is typically a full body harness. Harnesses distribute fall forces over the upper thighs, pelvis, chest and shoulders. They provide a connection point on the worker for the personal fall arrest system when working at heights.
- Connecting Devices: Connectors such as shock absorbing lanyards or self-retracting lifelines connect a worker's harness to the anchorage. A connector, such as a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline, is a device that links the user’s full-body harness to an anchorage
Setting Up Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)
A personal fall arrest system (PFAS) is a series of constituents designed to arrest a worker’s fall, preventing them from striking the next lower level and minimizing the chances of death or serious injury. Before any employee uses a PFAS to protect them from falls, they must be trained in the following:
- Identify the height requirements for utilization of PFAS.
- Understand the limitation of PFAS.
- Understand how to properly choose, inspect, use, and maintain their PFAS
