Fall Protection & Safety Strategies
Here are guidelines to help facility managers maximize fall protection, which annually tops OSHA’s list of common violations.
For the 10th straight year, fall protection was the most-cited violation in 2020, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year 2020 shows a decrease of non-fatal injuries from 244,000 in 2019 to 211,640 in 2020. But the decrease in the injury rate can largely be attributed to the pandemic, which is why managers should not be too encouraged about the 2020 numbers.
Ramping up training
In order to stem the tide, facility managers need to do more to train frontline workers on ways to identify hazards related to falls and the methods they can use to protect themselves. This effort includes the proper use of MEWPs and ladders, and the practice of effectively wearing personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
Poorly trained workers or those that are not trained to competently work at heights using work platforms, ladders, and scaffolding are subject to making critical mistakes that unfortunately can turn deadly. OSHA regulations require comprehensive training and until we as an industry recognize the relationship between lack of training and serious injuries and fatalities, these types of incidents will continue to occur.
It’s so important that OSHA has numerous requirements for employers to provide fall-protection training, These training requirements are based on the task and the industry the task is being completed in. Unfortunately, employers often fail to enforce safety regulations by looking the other way when employees disregard company fall-protection requirements.