Fall Protection on the Jobsite
Falls are one of the most common causes of death in construction. In 2020, falls caused more than one third of all construction deaths. Falls can be prevented and steps can be taken to make sure that everyone makes it home in one piece.
When is Fall Protection Needed?
Fall protection is needed any time the surface someone is standing on is 6ft or higher than the level below. The two main types of fall protection are guardrails, or a harness with lanyard/yo-yo. Wheeled baker-perry scaffolding is not allowed on Berg jobsites without written permission.
Planning ahead
Planning ahead is an important part in preventing falls. Once you know that your work will take you 6ft or more above the ground, figure out what the best way to safely do your work is. Can you reach while using a ladder? Do you have room to get a scissor lift close enough? Or would a boom lift be best? If none of these are a safe solution, reach out to your foreman and develop a working plan.
Before using fall protection equipment, inspect it for damage. This includes harnesses, beam clamps, yo-yos, beam straps, ladders, walkups, and all lifts.
Guardrails
Guardrails are very common and are put in place to keep you safe. There is never an excuse for standing on the toe-boards, mid-rails, or top-rails. Sometimes work needs to be done and the guardrails need to be removed in order to accomplish it. Examples of this include using a forklift to load scissor lifts or material to a higher level, laying track or soffit along a leading edge. If the guardrails need to be removed, the foreman must be notified and barricades must be installed at least 6 feet from the leading edge to protect the area where the guardrails have been removed. Any worker working on the unprotected side of the barricade must be tied off with harness, yo-yo, and anchor at all times. Signs showing that this area requires fall protection should be displayed.
If you ever have questions about how to protect yourself from fall risks, ask your foreman.
