Is fall protection training required?
Yes, if you work at a height above 4 feet from working or walking surface fall protection training is an OSHA requirement. This means that most anyone on a worksite is required to have fall protection training. This is because, according to OSHA, “Falls are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths”.
Is fall protection training required?
Yes, if you work at a height above 4 feet from working or walking surface fall protection training is an OSHA requirement. This means that most anyone on a worksite is required to have fall protection training. This is because, according to OSHA, “Falls are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths”.
I needed something to help me make it through the monotony of spring window cleaning. I had upwards of 20 buildings contracted for interior and exterior window cleaning and I was working alone. So I inserted my Dire Straits cassette into my Walkman and got to work on The Washington Post building, then at 15th & L Street NW in Washington, DC.
Thousands of buildings will need a retrofit to comply with OSHA’s fall protection safety standards, so doing it right from the start saves money and lives.
Rope Descent Systems are the most common form of accessing exterior high-rise buildings for window cleaning operations in the United States. Best practice for design of RDS systems is to locate anchorages…
In the past, workers at height were expected to take risks as part of their jobs. A can-do mentality compelled many workers to accept those risks with pride. But in more recent years, attitudes about working at height have changed as employers and building owners implemented federally required worker safety measures.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s a saying that holds true in life and in designing fall protection systems. Basically, starting out with the best fall protection design means eliminating hazards in the first place.
Below is the hierarchy of fall prevention measures, starting from ideal to the least effective:
Good planning can save lives and money
A top concern for building owners is return on investment. Still many building owners fail to consider how comprehensive fall protection and suspended access design is key to getting the best return on investment. Why?
Knowing why the impact load matters could save lives.
Impact load matters because if a worker falls while working at height, the anchorage must withstand the forces generated to arrest the worker’s fall. A few factors that determine the impact forces generated on the anchorage when arresting a fall include:
What is a Fall Arrest System?
According to OSHA, Fall protection means a system used to arrest an employee in a free fall from a working-walking surface. It consists of a body harness, anchorage, and connector. The means of connection may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or a suitable combination of these.
Forward
OSHA published the Walking-Working Surfaces rule on November 18, 2016, and it became effective January 17, 2017, requiring building owners to have certified anchorages for workers using RDS whenever such suspended work is performed.
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