A focus on fall protection

A focus on fall protection

What common violations result in citations?

It's one thing to see which OSHA regulations are regularly violated; It's another thing to recognize which unsafe practices lead to OSHA citations. Let's take a look at each of the four fall-related violations.

General fall protection requirements

Regarding general fall protection requirements, OSHA officers may issue citations for observing workers at height without any fall protection or improper use of fall protection equipment. OSHA requires that for general industry workers who perform work that involves a risk of falling from a height of more than 4 feet to the next lower level or from a height of more than 6 feet to the next lower level, employers must: Provide fall protection. This could be a railing, a personal fall protection system or a safety net; Regardless of this, fall protection must be used above these height thresholds.

Ladders

One of the most common ladder violations is workers failing to maintain three points of contact when using a ladder. This can prove challenging for workers when they have to use both hands to perform tasks while standing on the ladder. Imagine how difficult it is to change a light bulb on the ceiling while always having one hand on the ladder! However, OSHA requires workers to maintain three points of contact at all times when using a ladder. Many ladder manufacturers now offer platform ladders with integrated safety rails at the top of the ladder to reduce the risk of the worker falling. These integrated guardrails can be considered a guardrail and allow workers to use both hands for their tasks without violating OSHA regulations.

Another common ladder violation involves proper setup. OSHA requires a 4:1 ratio when using extension ladders; In other words, for every 4 feet the ladder extends vertically, it must be 1 foot away from the structure. For example, the base of a 12-foot ladder should be placed 3 feet from the structure for optimal stabilization.

Fall protection training

Fall protection training comes in many forms, but it must be a documented part of every organization's fall protection program. For example, OSHA requires employers to designate authorized users before allowing employees to perform work at heights. This type of initial fall protection training requires relevant employees to be educated (at a minimum) about the specific fall hazards in their workplace, how to recognize them, and how to properly use their equipment.

In addition, employers must retrain their employees on any of the following:

  • there is a change in the working environment,
  • new devices/systems are used, or
  • An employee has a gap in understanding that prevents them from working safely.

Employers must document when training takes place and which employees are allowed to use the fall protection equipment.

scaffolding

After all, there are many components involved in the proper construction and operation of scaffolding, but a commonly observed violation in practice is the lack of fall protection for employees. OSHA requires employers to provide fall protection to scaffold workers who are 10 feet or more above the ground. Many scaffolding manufacturers offer integrated anchors in the scaffolding structure or can integrate horizontal lifelines for lashing by workers.

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