Fall Prevention & Protection

Valley City State University | Facilities Services |

Introduction

• This presentation will discuss:• The working conditions that prompt use of fall

protection• Options that are available to protect workers

from falls• Ladder Safety• Scaffolding Safety

General Requirement

• Each employee or contractor on a walking/working surface four feet or more above a lower level must be prevented or protected from falling.• Prevention can be achieved by use of guardrails or

stair rails, personal fall arrest systems (a body harness and lanyard that is attached to an anchorage point),

Walking/Working Surfaces

• Must be designed, built, and maintained free of recognized hazards.

• Must be designed, built, and maintained to support the maximum intended load and should never have the maximum intended load exceeded.

• Must have safe means of access and egress.• Must regularly be inspected and maintained.• Must have all hazardous conditions immediately

corrected, repaired, or temporarily guarded to prevent use.

Holes

• A hole is defined as a gap or opening of one inch in its least dimension in a walking or working surface.

• Holes must be protected by standard railings with toe boards or by covers.

• Skylight covers or guards must be capable of supporting at least 200 pounds.

ImproperlyCovered

Stairways

• All stairs with 4 or more risers must have standard stair rails or handrails.

• The vertical height must be between 30-34 inches from the surface of the tread at the front of the tread.

Stairways (cont.)

• Fixed stairs must be provided for access from one level to another where operations necessitate regular travel between levels, such as each day or each shift.

• Where handrails are provided, they must be used.• Stairways with for or more risers or more than 30

inches high must have a stair rail along each unprotected side or edge.

Aerial Lifts

• A body harness and lanyard attached to the manufacturer’s designed anchorage point must be worn when working from an aerial lift.

• The area under the lift in use must be blocked to prevent pedestrian or vehicle traffic.

LADDER SAFETY

Fixed Ladders

• All fixed ladders, where the length of the climb is more than 20 feet, must have:• A cage, or• A ladder safety

device

Portable Ladders

• A harness and a lanyard is not required when using a portable ladder for its intended purpose.

• The ladder must be properly erected, with the user facing it and maintaining a position with the belt buckle between the side rails at all times.

General Ladder Requirements

• Use ladders only for their designed purpose.• When using a portable ladder for access to an upper

landing surface, the side rails must extend at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface.

• DON’T tie ladders together to make longer sections, unless designed for such use.

• DON’T load ladders beyond the maximum load for which they were built, nor beyond the manufacturer’s rated capacity.

General Ladder Requirements (cont.)

• Ladders must be kept in a safe condition:• Keep the area around the top and bottom of a ladder

clear.• Ensure rungs, cleats, and steps are level and

uniformly spaced.• Ensure rungs are spaced 10 to 14 inches apart.• Keep ladders free from slipping hazards.

Securing Ladders

• Secure ladders to prevent accidental movement due to workplace activity

• Only use ladders on stable and level surfaces, unless secured

• Do not use ladders on slippery surfaces unless secured or provided with slip-resistant feet

• Brace the bottom of the ladder with a 2x4 or by having another person hold it, or by using a stake to prevent the ladder from falling

OR• By tying off to a secure anchor at the top of the ladder

to prevent the ladder from falling if left unattended.

Ladder Angle

• Non-self-supporting ladders (which lean against a wall or other support)• Position at an angle

where the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of the ladder is ¼ the working length of the ladder.

Step Ladder Video

SINGLE EXTENSION LADDER VIDEO

SCAFFOLDS

What is a Scaffold?

• An elevated, temporary work platform• Three basic types:• Supported Scaffolds—platforms supported by rigid,

load bearing members, such as poles, legs, frames, and outriggers

• Suspended Scaffolds—platforms suspended by ropes or other non-rigid, overhead support

• Aerial Lifts—such as “cherry pickers” or “boom trucks”

Scaffold Hazards

• Employees working on scaffolds are exposed to these hazards:• Falls from elevation—caused by slipping, unsafe

access, and the lack of fall protection• Struck by falling tools or debris• Electrocution—from overhead power lines• Scaffold collapse—cause by instability or

overloading• Bad planking giving way

Scaffold Fall Hazards/Protection

• Falls may occur:• While climbing on or off the scaffold• Working on unguarded scaffold platforms• When scaffold platforms or planks fail

• Fall Protection• If a worker on a scaffold can fall more than 10 feet:• Guardrails• Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)

Scaffolding Supports

• Erect on stable and level ground

• Lock wheels and braces

• Scaffold poles, legs, posts, frames, and uprights must be on base plates and mud sills or other firm foundation

Scaffold Safety Video

Personal Fall Arrest System

• If fall hazards of 4 feet or more cannot be controlled with standard rails or covers, or• If the work cannot be performed with

scaffolds, lifts or ladders, then…• A personal fall arrest system must be used.

Personal Fall Arrest System (cont.)

• A personal fall arrest system consists of:• Body Harness• Lanyard with locking

snap hooks, attached to an appropriate anchorage point.

Body Belts

• Body belts must NEVER be used for fall arrest.

Anchorage Points

• Personal Fall Arrest equipment must be attached to an anchorage point:• Capable of supporting 5,000 pounds/ person

attached to it, or• Designed by a qualified person with a safety factor

or twice the maximum anticipated force generated during the fall.

Anchorage Points (cont.)

• Employees must NOT tie off to:• Conduit• Sprinkler pipes• Standard railings• Sharp-edged objects, such as I-beams (unless a

beam strap or other product designed to prevent cutting the lanyard is used.)

Personal Fall Arrest System

• The fall arrest system must limit the force on a falling employee by:• Using a deceleration device, such as a shock

absorbing or self-retracting lanyard.• Limiting free fall to no more than 6 feet.• Not allowing a falling employee to contact a lower

level.• Anchorage points must be overhead whenever

possible.

Personal Fall Arrest Equipment

• Personal fall arrest equipment must be inspected prior to each use.• Damaged or defective equipment must be

removed from service.• After a fall, the personal fall arrest equipment

must be removed from service, and the anchorage point must be inspected for damage.

How to use a safety Harness

THIS CONCLUDES THIS PORTION OF THE TRAINING…Take a 5 minute stretch break before we continue to the next module.