Fall Protection

Updated on April 4, 2019

Every safety professional wishes there was a simple answer.

One height across all tasks and industries would certainly make enforcement easier, but this is not the case. OSHA’s intent is to keep people safe across most industries, however, keep in mind that...

Nothing could be worse in safety than a false sense of security.  Somebody who believes they are protected by a certain piece of equipment might take more chances – even unknowingly – than they would if they believed they had no protection at all.  Yet, we see it every day:  a...

Not all safety harnesses are created equal.

It is easy to think that because a harness has ANSI stamped on it that is will be safe and compliant with OSHA. That is not necessarily the case. So, how do we assure that the harness we purchase or currently is designed to hold my weight and...

Self-retracting lanyard/lifelines are popular devices among professionals who work at height. These fall arrest systems can save lives but they can also be dangerous if used improperly. The use of an SRL can seem easy, as it's basic functions are just like a seat belt, but it is...

Extension ladders: who hasn’t used one to access the roof of their home, praying every moment that it won’t fall back, slip to the side, or just buckle under your weight?  A tool so common can still be extremely dangerous and the facts are alarming:

During fall arrest your body needs a way to reduce the amount of force, and that happens through a shock pack. Shock packs can be added to your personal fall protection system as an extension lanyard, and as part of a single or double leg lanyard. In addition, shock packs can also be ...

Falling while working at height represents the number one cause of death in the construction industry and the number two cause in general industry.

Experience has shown us that people seem to be making the same fundamental mistakes while managing work at height.

The objective of this series...

Ladders tend to be one of those tools that get taken for granted because they’re used so often in the home.  Therefore, sometimes ladder safety gets as much consideration at work as it does at home, which is to say: zero.  That needs to change.  In a recent CDC article, it was noted...

Employee safety should be a top priority in any company. Apart from the obvious heartache associated with worker deaths and injuries, workers who are injured on the job could sue the company for financial damages. They may also be less productive when they do return to work. Therefore, it...

Back when I began in the field of safety, self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) were frowned upon by workers, not because the function wasn’t preferable, but because they were big, bulky and very heavy.  Over time, things have changed.  Technology has improved.  And while the cumbersome...

In order for a roof parapet to provide adequate fall protection, a roof parapet railing should be at least 42" in height. Unfortunately, many buildings get close to this height without quite meeting the height required by OSHA to provide fall protection. There are several solutions to...

Roof Stability - Is the roof strong enough to support the weight of a human. Are the trusses intact? Will the roof bow on a hot day? Check the underlayment before going onto the roof. Ladder Security & Placement - Is the ladder secure and at a 4:1 angle, are the feet secure, the top...

Updated on December 20, 2018 by Josh Borowiec

Rooftop fall protection seems to be one of the most confusing regulations.

Given the amount of different scenarios, it's easy to miss an important detail – or at least misinterpret one. So, here’s a quick and easy by-the-numbers guide...

Whether it’s working from a boom lift, walking steel, standing on an elevated order picker, or any of the myriad other reasons you may be working at heights, “tying off” will do you no good if your personal fall arrest system allows you to strike the lower level before it stops your fall. ...

One of the most versatile pieces of fall protection equipment is the double tie off lanyard, also known as the Y-lanyard. This new breed of lanyard has become a popular choice among safety professionals in recent years. The Y-lanyard attaches two lanyard legs to a shock absorber and snap...

Fall protection is a topic that has several facets. Federal OSHA and state regulations on fall safety now demand better and more secure options for worker protection against falls. Government safety agencies are continually holding seminars; they also issue guidelines for employers on...

It’s inevitable.  If you are a safety-conscious worker, you will at some point in your career be faced with the task of presenting a safety concern to your employer.  If you’ve been given this responsibility, or if your company is truly supportive of safety efforts, then it’s easy. ...

Update: This post was updated in June of 2018 to align with the new Walking-Working Surface Rules posted by OSHA.

Warning line has received a bad reputation over time. Should it have? Maybe. Warning line is the equivalent of someone saying, "Hey, don’t go over there!" When I think of...

Fall arrest is the kind of fall protection which includes the safe stopping of a person already falling. It is one of many forms of fall protection, which also include fall guarding and fall

OSHA specifies under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations that people...

We often focus here on what you need to do to keep your employees safe and to ensure your company is compliant with the law, but at some point in time, some of you are going to be involved in an OSHA inspection and the outcome may not be as favorable as you’d like.  In this post, we’re...

One of the most neglected aspects of Fall Protection is the rescue and retrieval plan.  Sure, you've selected your harnesses and lanyards, debated the feasibility of railings, and calculated your fall distance, but what do you intend to do once the worker has fallen?  While the worker is...

Fall hazards are abundant and varied, making them difficult to protect against.  Every single situation is different and employers need to work with employees to ensure that the correct solution is in place.  The solutions may be easy or they may be complex, but either way, as the narrator...

If you’re a safety professional, it’s been ingrained in you since you were in diapers sitting through your first OSHA 30 hr. How many times have you caught yourself in a conference room shouting, “But don’t you understand?? PPE is a last resort!”?  Countless, I’d imagine, but the problem...