ByOne minute, a worker may be working and balancing confidently on a high platform and quickly suffer a devastating fall in a matter of seconds. An innocent bystander can be minding their business walking down the street and barely miss being hit by falling debris from an unprotected building. As you can see, falling people and objects can be dangerous. However, if you understand why they happen and the protective methods used to stop them, you can do your part to create a safe work environment and overall community.
Open Edges
If you are responsible for constructing large structures, such as skyscrapers and bridges, using proper netting is essential for overall fall protection. Thanks to bridge netting, bridge workers and pedestrian cars have some protection in case an accident happens. This type of netting is also essential for protecting bridges from high winds and the heavy impact of accumulating snow. During a high windstorm, workers or cars may get blown off but have protection with this netting.
Outdated Equipment
Are you mindful of the state of your equipment? Regardless of how many PPE items, netting, and scaffolding structures you have, if you don’t use ones that keep up with the type of work you do, you can put workers in danger. Outdated equipment may fall apart and become more harmful than useful. That’s why it’s essential to have regular inspections of building netting, platforms, and any materials used to protect from falls and other injuries. After all, a damaged building netting that once could hold 17,000 pounds of equipment from a fall may break on impact if it has become worn down.
Uneven Surfaces
Whether workers are on the ground or several stories a pie, they need a flat and even surface to work and balance on. An uneven surface makes it too easy for someone to slip and fall, even if the surface is dry. Uneven surfaces may have cracks and other openings that make it easy to trip and fall. A trip and fall on the ground may result in an injury, but a trip and fall off of an elevated platform without netting can quickly become a fatality.
Clutter
Clutter is never a good look for any home or business. An unorganized workspace is a functional one that makes it easy for everyone to quickly do their job and find the equipment they need. If tools, debris, and other items remain clustered throughout the work area, it makes it easy for walkways to become dangerous.
Wet Surfaces
Workers must have a dry surface to work on, whether it’s indoors or outdoors. That’s why you should shut down the construction site if it’s raining, so workers are not in danger, especially those on a scaffold. It’s too easy to slip and fall on even the smallest amount of liquid. Water, grease, food, oil, and paint can all create a slippery and dangerous surface.
Lack of Training
Even if you have the right equipment to protect your worksite, it can’t become null and void if people don’t know how to use them. Instead of just supplying PPE to protect the body or harnesses to prevent falls, conduct regular training so everyone is updated on proper usage. They should also understand the purpose, so they know the equipment is not just an extra load to carry. These items can save your life or that of a coworker.
According to the CDC, as many as over 211,000 workers had severe injuries, and 805 died from falls. Don’t let a fatality happen on your work site when you have so many safety equipment options available to you. Taking the time to install and inspect equipment like harnesses, scaffolds, hard hats, and other protective measures is worth it. After all, you don’t want your site to gain a reputation for being unsafe.
