TOPIC 10: FALL PROTECTION  Loading Platform

DEFINITION OF FALL HAZARDS COMMON FALL HAZARD ISSUES AND

CONCERNS IN CONSTRUCTION SITE
A fall hazard is a situation where a person is
exposed to a risk of a fall from one level to  No Proper Working Platform
another that is reasonably likely to cause an  Improper/No Working Platform
injury or even death.  No Provision of Proper Safe Access
and Working Platform
Working at height means:  Missing Guardrails and Failure to
Use Personal Arrest
 Working in any place where, if
 Unsafe Working Platform
precautions are not taken, a person
 Unprotected Opening
could fall and injure themselves
APPROPRIATE METHODS OF FALL
 This includes places above, at, or below
PROTECTION
ground level
Hierarchy of Fall Protection
Causes of Deaths from Falls
1. Hazard Elimination - Preferred solution
 Roof – 31%
is to eliminate exposure to the fall
 Ladder – 24%
hazard.
 Scaffolding – 15%
 Girder, Structural Steel – 7% 2. Fall Restraint System - Physical
 Non-moving Vehicle – 7% barriers, like guardrails around
 To Lower Level – 6% unprotected edges and covers over
 Floor, Dock, Ground Level – 5% holes.
How High is Deadly? 3. Passive Fall Protection - Use
personnel protective equipment to
You may not be very high off the ground but if
restrict the worker's range of movement
you fall, it could be deadly.
so they cannot fall.
PROTECT your employees, your co-workers,
4. Fall Arrest System - Design for
yourself.
situation where exposure to a fall is not
Height of Falls Percentage of Deaths preventable.
More than 30' 19.6% A fall is arrested within acceptable force
26' - 30' 9.5% and clearance margins.
21' - 25' 13.9%
16' - 20' 17.4% 5. Administrative Controls - Least
11' - 15' 19.7% preferred solution is work practices or
6' - 10' 11.7% procedure that increase a worker's
Less than 6' 8.2% awareness of a fall hazard.
Methods of Fall Protection
Fall distances and injury severity:
 Create an exclusion zone to restrict
 Falls from any height can be fatal access to areas where there is work
 Even falls from 6 feet (2 meters) can taking place above
cause serious injury or death  Put up clear signage to warn people of
 The higher the fall, the greater the risk fall areas, open pits and unsafe
of fatal injury conditions

 Most construction fatalities occur from  Give employees information and training
falls of 10 feet or higher on the standard procedures and safety
policies
ELEVATED LOCATIONS WHICH REQUIRE
INCREASED FALL HAZARD AWARENESS  Regularly undertake and record
maintenance, inspection and testing of
 Roof Works systems and equipment to ensure it is
 Active Floor suitable as well as sufficient
 Corewall
 Substructure Slab  An exclusion zone is used to keep
 Signboard/Billboard Works people out of dangerous areas.
 Exterior Works (EIFS) Workers must be provided with correctly fitted
 Scaffoldings and properly maintained protective equipment
 Suspended Scaffold and clothing.
  Safety shoes that are suitable to prevent  Materials that can be blown or swept off
slips roofs, exposed floors or scaffolding
should be secured
 Sun glasses to make sure that an
employee at height is not at risk due to  This also includes materials or
glare or reflection equipment that can be dislodged by
work activities
 Safety hard hats that will remain in
place in the event of a fall Toolbox secured with lanyard
 Full body harness
Remember: Personal protective equipment DUTY TO HAVE FALL PROTECTION
should be used as a last resort. Other control
 Fall protection is generally required
measures should be used first in order to
when one or more employees have
eliminate the need for harnesses.
exposure to falls to the lower level
Train workers on the proper use of equipment.
 Surfaces must be inspected before the
Safe Work Practices work begins
Perimeter  Employees are only permitted to be on
surfaces that are strong enough to
 Standard protection – guardrail
support them
system with toeboard and netting
Employers must provide effective fall
 Permanent edge protection - on
protection for workers who are working at 6
frequently accessed area
feet or higher by providing either:
 Advanced protection (used in high-
 Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)
rise construction) – full-height perimeter
 Safety Net Systems
screens
 Guardrail Systems
Exterior Work
Fall protection training programs must be
 HORIZONTAL CATCH NETS - Horizontal provided to workers who might be exposed to
catch nets should be installed close to fall hazards.
the structure to catch falling
Walking/Working Surfaces
persons/materials.
 SAFETY HARNESSES USED - When a  Walking/working surfaces on which
harness is used, the full risk assessment employees are to work have the
and or permit system should be followed strength and structural integrity to
and rescue measures should be in place. support them safely.
 LANYARDS USED TO TIE DOWN TOOLS -
Unprotected Sides and Edges
Lanyards must be used to tie tools to
belts or wrists. Each employee on a walking/working surface
 MAST CLIMBER - Ideally, boom lifts, mast (horizontal and vertical surface) with an
climbers or scissor lifts should be used unprotected side or edge shall be protected
for this type of work. from falling by the use of:
 EXCLUSION ZONE - An exclusion zone
must always be created.  Guardrail systems
 Safety net systems
Exterior work taking place - workers installing  Personal fall arrest systems
horizontal catch nets.
OSHS Rule 1068: Open-sided 2 meters or
Openings and Shafts more above the floor level shall be guarded on
all open sides by standard railings and toe-
 Timber and mesh locked gate prevents
boards.
unauthorized entry
 Mesh cast into slab around riser Leading Edge Work
 A securely fixed cover protects an
opening in the floor  Employees shall be protected by fall
 Roof openings have a different type of protection system(s)
protective measure  If not feasible, or creates a greater
Securing Materials: hazard must implement a fall protection
plan
Hoist Areas
  Hoist areas must be protected by a fall  Toe-boards
protection system  Screens or guardrails; or
 Canopy; or
 If guardrail section(s) are removed and
 Barricades
workers must lean into the opening, a
PFAS is required PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM (PFAS)
Manholes/Floor Openings Components of PFAS
 Protect from falling through, tripping or 1. Anchorage Anchorage means a secure
stepping into, and objects falling point of attachment for lifelines,
through lanyards or deceleration devices. A
secure point of attachment (structure)
OSHS Rule 1064.03; 1064.05:
for the fall arrest system. Commonly
 Floor openings into which persons can referred to as a tie-off point (ex. I-beam).
accidentally walk shall be guarded either
Employees must not tie off to:
by permanent railings and toe-boards on
all exposed sides  Conduit
 Sprinkler pipes
 Toe-boards shall be at least 15 cm (6 in.)
 Standard railings
in height
 Sharp-edged objects, such as I-
Wall/Window Openings beams, unless a beam strap or other
product designed to prevent cutting
OSHS Rule 1066: Where the opening is more the lanyard is used.
than 30 cm in width shall be guarded securely 2. Body Harness Body harness is the
by bars, slats, or grills to prevent persons from combination of straps that distribute the
falling through. force of the fall over the chest, thighs,
Ramps, Runways, Walkways waist, pelvis and shoulders. Full body
harnesses provide a connection point on
 Must protect workers with guardrail the worker for the personal fall arrest
systems system.
 shock absorber
OSHS Rule 1064.04:
 snap hook
 Standard railing shall be at least 1 meter  shoulder strap
from the floor level to the upper surface  dorsal D-ring
of the top rail  chest strap
 lanyard
 Capable of withstanding at least 100  leg strap
kgs. applied from any direction to any 3. Connecting Devices Connecting
point of the top rails devices link the body harness to the
Dangerous Equipment/Facility anchor point. Lanyards, retractable
lifelines and shock absorbing lifelines
Must protect equipment with guardrail systems are different types of connecting
or by equipment guards. devices. Devices used to connect the
Safety Monitoring System worker's full body harness to the
anchorage system (eg. shock absorbing
Safety monitoring system means a safety lanyard, self retracting lifeline, etc.).
system in which a competent person is
responsible for recognizing and warning PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM
employees of fall hazards. (PFAS) SETUP

Warning Line System  Shock Absorbing Lanyard

 Full Body Harness
Warning line system means a barrier erected  Rope Grab
on a roof or active floor to warn employees  Lifeline
that they are approaching an unprotected side  Anchor Point
or edge, and which designates an area in
which work may take place without the use of Components of PFAS and Purpose
guardrail, safety net systems to protect  Body harness, lines, connecting devices,
employees in the area. and anchor points used to stop a fall.
Falling Objects  Body Harness + Lines + Connectors +
Anchors = Personal Fall Arrest
Must wear hard hats and use:
D.O. 128-13 Section 12.1: Fall Protection EVEN THOUGH THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO
Fall protection shall be provided on any PREVENT ALL INCIDENTS, THEY DO OCCUR. IN
scaffold 2 meters (6 feet) or more above CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, QUICK ACTION AND
ground. SMART THINKING ARE OF THE UTMOST
IMPORTANCE. THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE
How to Don a Body Harness
CONSIDERED:
1. Hold harness by back D-ring. Shake
 A rescue plan or procedure must be
harness to allow all straps to fall in
included in the fall prevention plan and
place.
risk assessment.
2. If chest, leg and/or waist straps are  The procedure must be regularly
buckled, release straps and unbuckle at assessed and updated if necessary.
this time.  Fully trained rescue teams: must be
available to carry out a rescue quickly –
3. Slip straps over shoulders so D-ring is do not rely on emer-gency services
located in middle of back between exclusively.
shoulder blades.  Speed and care: are important to
4. Pull leg strap between legs and connect minimise suspension trauma when a fall
to opposite end. Repeat with second leg has been stopped through the use of a
strap. If belted harness, connect waist safety harness. Suspension trauma
strap after leg straps. occurs when a person is suspended for a
prolonged period of time and it could
5. Connect chest strap and position in lead to death due to insufficient blood
midchest area. Tighten to keep shoulder flow to the brain and heart. The aim is
straps taut. always to get the person down safely in
the shortest possible time.
6. After all straps have been buckled,
 An effective way of communication must
tighten all buckles so that harness fits
be set up. Rescuers must be able to
snug but allows full range of movement.
communicate with the casualty at all
Pass excess strap through loop keepers.
times.
Use of Personal Fall Arrest System  Avoid placing additional personnel at
risk during a rescue.
 A personal fall arrest system must  Ensure that all employees are provided
only be used if there are no other with information and training in
reasonable or practical options that emergency procedures.
would provide adequate fall
protection KEY POINTS
 Can only be used if there are secure
 Falls are one of the leading causes of
anchor points in suitable positions
death in the construction industry
 Anchor point high, Worker doesn’t fall
far.  The components of a personal fall arrest
 Anchor point low, Worker falls far. system are anchorage point; body
harness; and connecting devices
D.O. 128-13 Section 12.1.1: Fall Arrest
System Requirements  A personal fall arrest system must only
be used if there are no other reasonable
To be attached by lanyard to a:
or practical options that would provide
 Vertical lifeline adequate fall protection
 Horizontal lifeline, or
 Fall protection shall be provided on any
 Any rigid structural member
scaffold 2 meters (6 feet) or more above
When horizontal lifelines are used, they shall ground
be secured to two or more structural members.
Horizontal lifelines can be used only:
 As part of a complete PFAS which
maintains a safety factors of at least
two, and when designed, installed, and
used under the supervision of a qualified
person.
EMERGENCY RESCUE PROCEDURE