With falls being one of the most common and deadly workplace accidents, every manager should regularly review their safety practices. Are you doing everything you can to protect your workers from serious injury? In an effort to reduce workplace fall injuries, OSHA stresses implementing a fall prevention campaign. OSHA’s recommended campaign focuses on your three major steps: to plan, provide, and train. Last month, we discussed how you could plan ahead and identify potential hazards. Today, let’s see how to eliminate dangers by providing the proper safety equipment.
Step 2 of OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign: Provide
In the planning stage, you identified potential hazard areas and began to make arrangements to protect your workers. Depending on the type of hazard area, the equipment that you provide can vary. Here are a few of the most common hazard areas and the equipment that you will need to obtain.
Rooftops and Elevated Platforms
OSHA recently released an updated final rule on fall protection and safety systems. A major difference in the new guidelines is greater flexibility regarding which safety systems are acceptable. Employers are encouraged to use common sense in choosing the best personal protective equipment for each situation. In all cases, a combination of safety harnesses and sturdy elevated platforms are likely required or recommended.
Powered Lifts
For some work areas, the safest and most efficient solution is to provide an elevated lift. Remember that, for movable lifts, you may need to provide a spotter. The lift operator will not have a clear view of the ground below him, and a spotter can help clear the ground and direct foot traffic safely.
Ground Level
A surprising amount of slip and fall related injuries occur from a standing height. Ground level hazards are sometimes hard to identify, and we tend to let our guard down. In the winter, you will need to provide appropriate footwear for those working around icy areas. In addition, provide maintenance and cleanup crews with the necessary equipment to keep walkways safe and obstacle free.
Stay tuned for part 3 in the series. We’ll be covering how to ensure your employees receive fall prevention training to keep them safe. Meanwhile, check out the staffing services that we can offer your business. We can assist you in finding and hiring talented, safety-conscious workers so that you can focus your efforts on more important tasks. Contact us today to learn how to get started.