How

H Long
L Does
D it
T k to
Take t F
Fall
ll

4 ft
f ?
16 fft ?
64 fft ?
• a body in free fall can travel 4 ft. in 0.5 second
• a bodyy in free fall can travel 16 ft. in 1 second
• a body in free fall can travel 64 ft. in 2 seconds
 Falls in Construction
 In the blink of an eye we can hit the
ground hard!
g
 Fall from heights is the leading cause
of deaths in the construction industry
industry.
 Most fatalities occur when employees
fall from open
open-sided
sided floors or through
floor openings.
 Falls from as low as 4 to 6 feet can
cause serious lost-time accidents and
even death.
F ll Hazards
Fall H d
1 F
1. Falls
ll ffrom elevation
l ti
 Scaffolds
 Ladders
 Roof
 Elevated
workplaces
 Floor openings
 Leading edges
F ll Hazards
Fall H d
2 F
2. Fallll on th
the same llevell
 Slipping
pp g and tripping
pp g hazards
3. Being struck by falling objects
 Objects that are:
- improperly stored
- improperly disposed of
- mishandled at elevation
Appropriate Methods
of Protection
Elimination
Prevention
Control
Eliminating the fall hazard
Requires
q careful assessment of the
work to be done and how to safely
accomplish that work
Develop a different way of performing
the work
Design safety into the construction
process
Examples:
 Performing as much work on the ground as
possible to eliminate the hazard of
climbing/working at elevation like:
- building prefab roof on the ground and
lifting it into place with a crane
-assembling guardrail systems and fall
arrestt systems
t on form
f workk and/or
d/
structural steel at ground level rather
th att elevation
than l ti
 Use of appropriate
pp p equipment
q p such as
scaffoldings and aerial lifts
Preventing employee
exposure
Fall prevention methods

 Providing proper access to elevated

work area
P
Protecting
t ti unguarded
d d openings
i and
d
leading edges
 Practicing good housekeeping
Stairs and Ladders
Handrails – Assists balance
Guardrail
A barrier erected to prevent employees from
f lli tto llower llevels
falling l
Work locations requiring
q ggguardrail p
protection:
 Elevated work platforms (such as form work)
 Scaffolds
 Openings/holes in bridge decks, floors or other
unprotected
t t d surfaces
f
 Unprotected sides of ramps/stairways/platforms
G
Guard
d Rail
R il Systems
S t

Top Rail
Mid- Rail
Toeboard

Guard rails at least 1 m tall

Toeboards at least 15 cm high
 Unprotected sides & edges

Unprotected
U t t d sides
id and
d edges
d mustt
have guardrails.
 Wall
a ope
opening
g

If y
you work near wall openings
p g 6 feet or more above
lower levels you must be protected from falling
W lk
Walkways and
d Ramps
R

Guard ramps, runways and other walkways

This 1/4" nylon rope alone is not a proper
way to
t guard d this
thi open side.
id
 Openings
O i att
the sides of
the rubbish
chute that
are not
barricaded

Lift shaft
h ft
openings
which are
not
barricaded
Surface Opening
Protection
Floor Holes

Improperly
Covered

 Cover completely
p y and securelyy
 If no cover, can guard with a guardrail
Sky lights and Other
Openings
p g

 Holes more than 6 feet high must be protected

 This opening could be made safe by using a
guardrail, or strong cover
Good
housekeeping
can reduce
hazards of
falling objects.
You should
keep your
workplace
clean and tidy
daily.
daily
Controlling the fall
Should only y be considered after
determining that the fall hazard
cannot be eliminated or the
possibility of falling prevented
Least desirable method of protection
because it minimizes the
consequences of a fall rather than
preventing its occurrence
Fall Restraint
R

Or
Fall Arrest?
F ll Restraint
Fall R t i t Systems
S t

Prevent you from falling

Include:
- Work Positioning Systems – attach you
to an anchor and leave both your free
hands free to work
y
- Travel Restriction Systems –p
prevent
you from traveling to an edge from
where yyou mayy fall
W k Positioning
Work P iti i Systems
S t
To support and
suspend the user while
being transported

Commonly seen
during form work
and tying of rebar.
Travel Restriction Systems
Use to prevent the user from reaching an
area
a ea where
e e free-fall
ee a coucould
d occu
occur (e
(e.g.
g
leading edge roof work)
U off B
Use Body
d BBelts
lt
Effective January 1, 1998, body belts
are prohibited as a fall arrest device
device.
(OSHA)
Body belts can still be used as a
positioning device.
Putting
P tti on a safety
f t belt
b lt
Fasten the belt snugly
around your waist
Wear it high on your waist,
not low around the hips or
pelvic area.
P iti the
Position th belt
b lt buckle
b kl att
the front of your body
Make sure the belt tail is
secure in the belt loop and
not hanging out loosely.
Inspecting
I ti your safety
f t belt
b lt
Inspect your belt before each use.

Buckle

Webbing
 D rings
D-rings

Remember:
R b DO NOT USE SAFETY
BELTS THAT SHOW SIGNS OF
DAMAGE!!!
F ll Arrest
Fall A t Systems
S t
Protect you AFTER you fall by stopping the
fall before you hit the surface below
Purpose:
 Stop the fall
 Distribute the impact energy experienced
during the fall arrest
Includes:
Full body harness
Safety nets
Elements of a Fall Arrest System

1 Anchor Point
1.
2. Lifeline
3. Lanyard
y or Rope
p
4. Full-body Harness
Anchorage
A secure ppoint of attachment for
lanyards, lifelines, or deceleration
devices capable of withstanding the
anticipated forces applied during a
fall
Shall be located above the worker to
avoid unnecessary swing in the event
of a fall
Anchoring Non-Anchorages
Non Anchorages
Devices/Points  Guardrails
 Structural Members  Railings
 Anchors/Fasteners  Ladders/Rungsg
 Eyebolts  Scaffoldings
 Imbeds  Ductworks/Pipe
 Turnbuckles Vents
 Shackles C d it/Pl bi
 Conduit/Plumbing
 g
Slings  C-Clamps
 Retractables  Roof stacks, vents,
 Cross Arm Straps fans
Lif li
Lifeline

- is an independent length of
synthetic fiber or steel wire rope
attached to a p point of anchorage
g at
one or both ends. It is used to guide a
fall arrest device.
device
 H i
Horizontal
t l Lifeline
Lif li

• Consists of a fixed rail or

synthetic fiber rope or
wire rope rigged between
two substantial anchor
points

• Allows a worker to move

horizontally
V ti l Lifeline
Vertical Lif li
An independent length
of sy
o synthetic
t et c fiber
be oor stee
steel
wire rope attached to a
point of anchorage.
p g It is
used to guide a fall
arrest device.
It allows a worker to
move vertically
ti ll on an
aerial lift device.
Safety
y Line Anchorages
g

Must be independent of
any platform anchorage
and capable of
supporting at least
,
5,000 lbs. per
p worker
I
Inspection
ti Points
P i t
Exposure to sunlight causes most synthetic
fiber ropes to deteriorate over time
Before each use, carefully inspect your
lifeline to make sure it is in good condition
Look for signs of chafing or abrasion, cuts in
the yarns or strands, or any visible
d f iti th
deformities thatt would
ld weaken
k ththe rope or
interfere with the free movement of the rope
grab.
grab
Remember: IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS
ABOUT THE CONDITION OF YOUR
LIFELINE, DO NOT USE IT!
L
Lanyard
d
Flexible line of webbing or a synthetic or wire
rope used to secure a safety belt or full body
harness to a lifeline or anchor

Inspect the lanyard

before each use
Shock
Sh k absorber
b b
A shock
h k absorber
b b slows l and
d
cushions the fall, reducing
the force of stopping the fall
fall.
Warning: The shock absorber
may increase the length of
the lanyard by as much as
1 2 m (4 ft)d
1.2 i a ffall.
ft)during ll All
Allow
for this extra fall distance
when you include a a shock
absorber in your personal fall
protection system.
system
F ll Body
Full B d Harness
H

Wear a full body harness if you are at

risk of falling
It consists of straps passed over the
shoulders, across the chest, and around
the legs
legs. In a fall
fall, a full body harness
protects you more than a safety belt,
because it distributes the force of
p
impact over a ggreater area of yyour body.
y
• You must be trained how to properly use FAS.
• FAS = anchorage,
h lifeline
lif li and
d body
b d harness.
h
Inspecting your full body
harness
Inspect your harness before each
use.
Buckle

Webbing
D-rings
Look for bent,
bent cracked,
cracked nicked
nicked, or
gouged rings.

Remember: IF THE HARNESS IS

DAMAGED OR WORN, DO NOT
WEAR IT!!
S i
Swing fall
f ll hazard
h d
Be careful not to tie
off to a
o an a anchor
c o in
such a way that if
yyou fall,, you’ll
y
swing into an
obstruction
A swing fall can be
as harmful
h f l as
falling to the ground
After
Aft A F
Fall
ll

Immediately remove from service

all equipment used to arrest the fall.
You cannot use the equipment
again until it has been inspected
and approved by the manufacturer
or other approved agent
agent, or by a
professional engineer.
F ll Containment
Fall C t i t System
S t
S f t N
Safety Net/Mesh
t/M h
Constructed of materials of sufficient
strength to catch a falling person or debris
Sufficient tension and clearance to prevent
a falling person against contacting any
surface or structure below the net
Inspected at least once a week for wear,
damage and other deterioration
Place as close as possible
possible, but no more than 30
feet below where employees work
Catch platforms
can help to catch
debris

Do not store debris

on catch platform
 You should use
overhead
shelter and
follow the
designated
passageways

Do not take short cut to

save time as you may hit
b falling
by f lli objects
bj t when
h
you do not follow the
designated passageways.
passageways
 Overlay net is
important because
it protects workers
and public from
being hit by falling
objects

When entering or
leaving a building,
you must make use
of designated entry
point.
i t
T i i
Training
Employers must provide fall protection
training which may cover:
 Fall hazards
((recognition
g and
minimization)
 Fall protection
p
systems
 Use of fall protection
p
devices
Summary
If you can fall more than 6 feet, you
must be protected.
Use fall protection on:
walkways & ramps, open sides &
edges, holes, concrete forms & rebar,
ti
excavations, f wall
roofs, ll openings
i
and bricklaying
Protective measures include
guardrails, covers, safety nets, and
Fall Arrest Systems
R i d
Reminder
Safety is therefore
important to me
and myy family!
y
 F ll Protection
Fall P t ti Options
O ti

Fall Safety Net

Arrest System

Guardrails
PPE 71