Why is fall protection mandatory for workplaces?

 
With companies and industries enlarging their production capacity and scaling up, the dimensions of the equipment and machinery used are also extending, requiring the workers to work at elevated heights. As a part of industry guidelines, it is necessary to make sure that the workplace is entirely safe. However, the number of injuries and even death associated with falling has increased significantly. No amount of precaution can prevent the risk of workers falling from roofs or high workplaces. It is essential that industries realize the importance of fall protection equipment, which saves the lives of workers by limiting the length of impact and prevent collision with the ground. Fall arrest systems and fall restraint systems are the two basic types of fall protection systems.

Types of fall hazards:

• Holes: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a hole as “a gap or void two inches (5.1 cm) or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface”. It is not generally the elevated workplaces where one could fall as holes may be anywhere. It is also necessary to note that holes can form during the work process and should be carefully dealt.
  
• Skylights: Skylights are considered as holes on the roof and therefore should be covered with a standard skylight screen or a fixed railing on all the sides that are exposed to provide roof safety.
  
• Platform: Raised platforms are a serious concern as they must be guarded carefully. Raised platforms of height above six feet are bound to cause fall hazards to workers.
  
• Sharp edges: Sharp edges in the infrastructure may cause the cutting of lifelines exposing the workers to extremely dangerous injuries and vulnerable conditions.
  
• Debris: There has been a lot of reported injuries by falling debris in construction zones, affecting both workers and the pedestrians causing them life-threatening injuries.
  
  Falling:
  
  
  Single level: These falls are also called as slips and trips as the worker remains on a single working level. It occurs when footways are not uniform, or when footwear tread does not match the footway. In such cases, fall hazards can be prevented using fall protection systems like handrails, enclosed ladders or catwalks.
  
  
  Lower level: Most of the life-threatening injuries arise due to falling from a higher level to a lower working level. OSHA has put up regulations stating the safety of workers who work at a level which is four feet or more to the lower level. Active fall protection systems like body harness secured to an anchorage through a lanyard are one of the best solutions ensuring the safety of workers.
  
  
  Swing: Although these falls belong to the class of fall to a lower level, they are unique. It occurs when a worker falls from a higher working platform to a lower level while attached to a fall arrest system which is not attached directly over the head. This causes the connector to swing. Swing falls become fatal when there is no open space around, i.e., the worker swings back and forth contacting n object, thereby causing him serious injury.