The Importance of Fall Protection in Construction

Did you know that falls are the leading cause of workplace death for construction workers? According to the Centers for Disease Control, four construction workers die on the job every day in this country. OSHA reports that falls from elevation account for one third of all construction deaths.

California’s construction season is upon us, so this is an excellent time to help protect California construction workers by emphasizing safety and preventing worksite falls.

Fall protection is required when working on:

• structures where a worker could fall more than 7 ½ feet
• thrustouts, trusses, beams, purlins, or plates at heights over 15 feet
• sloped roof surfaces steeper than 7:12

To prevent accidental falls at worksites, guardrails and toe boards or other effective barriers should be used. However, there will be areas where guardrails or other barriers are not feasible. In these cases, workers must use approved personal fall protection systems or positioning devices.

Two basic types of personal fall protection systems that require tie off are personal fall arrest and personal fall restraint. 

• Personal fall arrest systems stop an employee during a fall from hitting a lower level or structure. The systems consist of an anchorage, connectors, and a full body harness.  It may include a lanyard, a lifeline, a deceleration device, or suitable combinations of these.
• A personal fall restraint system prevents falls by restraining a worker from getting too close to an unprotected edge. This system consists of anchorages, connectors, and a body belt or full body harness. It may include lanyards, rope grabs, and lifelines for that purpose. 

When conventional or personal fall protection is not practical, safety nets must be used instead. 

• Before using safety nets, check to see that the nets are hung with enough clearance to prevent a falling person from hitting the surface or structure below.
• Safety nets should be placed within 10 vertical feet and never more than 30 feet below the working surface. 
• Nets must extend at least eight feet beyond the building or structure. 
• If the vertical distance from the working level to the net is greater than 5 feet, then the net must extend 10 feet beyond the building. 
• A net from 10 feet to 30 feet below the working surface must extend 13 feet.

If you use any type of fall protection equipment, including personal fall protection or safety nets, be sure to check that you are using the right equipment for the job, labeled as meeting the requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and that the equipment is in good condition.

Remember--whenever possible, employers should always set up temporary floors, guardrails and toe boards, or other physical barriers, instead of having workers rely on tie offs and nets for fall protection.  When not feasible, personal fall protection or safety nets must be used.  No work should proceed unless the necessary fall protection is in place.  Practical fall protection can prevent serious injury and save your life.  Use your head—don’t fall on it!

For more construction safety tips:  www.statefundca.com/safety/NewsConstruction.asp