THE OSHA FALL PROTECTION STANDARD

Do You Know What Is Required?
Falls from elevations are the second leading cause of death in the workplace. Consider this: when a person falls only 12 feet, the free fall velocity at impact is 20 miles per hour. It takes less than one second to fall this distance. At one time, the National Safety Council estimated that at least 115,000 construction workers are injured and 158 die from falls each year. In light of this, understanding the fall protection standard is important for determining what type of protection will help keep your crew safe.

THE MAGIC NUMBER “SIX”
The federal construction standard specifies that employees need protection from falls six feet and higher. That is, if the potential fall distance is six feet or greater, you must take action to prevent, restrain or arrest the fall. This includes falls through floors or openings, from walls or roofs, off leading edges, onto ramps, formwork, hoistways, excavations, or when working over dangerous equipment.
Two exceptions to this rule address the need for protection when there is less than a six foot exposure. One is when working over dangerous equipment. The other is mandated when job tasks require workers to reach ten inches or more below the level of their walking or work surface.

TYPES OF FALL PROTECTION
Falls from elevations typically occur when a person steps or tumbles through an opening in a deck, floor, roof, or from the perimeter of an elevated structure. In the majority of cases, physical barriers can prevent such occurrences, which is the preferred method of protection. The most common physical barriers are guardrails and covers. Other types are -
GUARDRAIL SYSTEMS
COVERS FOR OPENINGS
POSITIONING DEVICE SYSTEMS
PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEMS
SAFETY NET SYSTEMS
WARNING LINE SYSTEMS
SAFETY MONITORING SYSTEMS
CONTROLLED ACCESS ZONES