Fall Protection

Ladders are something we take for granted; everybody has been on one at some point in their life...

At what height is fall protection required?

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...

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...

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:

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:  an unsecure...

Even with the best of intentions, Self-Retracting Lifelines (e.g. SRL’s) can cause more injuries than almost any other kind of fall protection when they aren't used properly. Using an SRL gives the feeling of extra assurance because you’re clipped in, however, if proper measures are not...

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...

It’s no secret in the world of Safety that falls are one of the major causes of fatal injuries in the workplace and the number one killer in construction. A fact that flies a little more under the radar is that in the past decade 43% of all fall fatalities have involved a ladder. Yet, tell...

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 ...

Ladders tend to be one of those tools that get taken for granted because they are 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...

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...

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...

Falling while working at height represents the leading cause of death and injury in both construction and general industry. Experience has shown us that people seem to be making the same fundamental mistakes while managing work at height. We will share our observations in an effort to develop...

Every time you or your team access a rooftop you should take every precaution and avoid hazards and dangerous situations. But sometimes we all need a reminder about what specifically to lookout for, so we’ve compiled this list of the top 10 hazards you should be aware of before you access a...

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...

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. ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...