Tag Archives: harnesses

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

AVOIDING FALLS IN THE WORKPLACE (GUEST POST)

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Most of us don’t have workplace safety at the forefront of our minds when we are on the job. Unfortunately, injuries in the workplace are far from uncommon. The U.S. Department of Labor has reported that 15% of accidental deaths in the workplace are caused by falls, slips, or trips, and also account for an astounding 25% of all reported injuries.

Avoiding falls in the workplace should be a priority for not only employees, but also for the employers who are legally obligated to prevent them. While you may get out lucky with just a bruise or scrape, falls can often result in death. Going forward, follow these safety guidelines to stay safe on the job, avoid falls, and focus on the task at hand.

Avoiding Falls In The Workplace 1

Falls account for 25% of all workplace injuries. They can be prevented.

Where do Falls Occur?
Most reported falls occur at ground level, either by tripping over an object such as wires or slipping on a liquid such as oil. The remainder are from falling from higher areas such as ladders, rooftops, steps, or a higher floor.

Avoiding Falls In The Workplace 2

Never allow boxes or other objects in main walkways.

Precautions to Avoid Falls
Almost all workplace falls can be avoided either by wearing the proper safety equipment or by making sure that workplace conditions are safe before working. Here are a few tips to help prevent falls.

Create a workplace clean-up plan that must be followed daily. Housekeeping such as putting away loose objects, cleaning up spills as they happen, and ensuring all equipment is properly tied down will help prevent most falls from happening. 

  • Always use equipment for its intended purpose. For example, when reaching for something up high, a safety ladder is a much better choice than a desk chair.
  • Wear appropriate footwear for the environment. Make sure the footwear provides the traction and protection you need for your particular job.
  • Keep walkways clear. Boxes, cords, and hoses should never be left in main walking areas.
  • Work areas should be well-lit, and lights should be turned on upon entering any room.
  • Always be mindful of your environment. Paying attention to what is around you can be a preventative measure in itself.

Avoiding Falls In The Workplace 3

Always clean up spills right away to avoid slipping.

Why is Workplace Safety, and Avoiding Falls Important?

The main reason avoiding falls and following workplace safety protocol is important is to keep employees safe, free from injury, and to avoid accidental death. If you are injured on the job, you will be facing even more issues than your injury.

  • Will you have paid time off if the injury could have been prevented?
  • Will you have worries such as how to manage finances if you’re suddenly laid off‘ .
  • Will your health insurance cover the injuries sustained on the job?For employers, the cost of a fall in the workplace can be astronomical. Medical bills, paid leave, and legal fees are not worth ignoring safety protocol and ensuring injury prevention.

  • Falls can be prevented in the workplace. Following safety procedures, keeping the work areas clean and tidy, using equipment only as intended, and wearing safety harnesses when appropriate along with other safety gear will go a long way in the prevention of falls.

    Jessica Galbraith is a writer, blogger, and safety advocate. 

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

SAFETY CONCERNS OF WINDOW CLEANERS WORKING ON HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS (GUEST POST)

To some, it might not seem like the most hazardous job in the world, but being a window cleaner does involve a lot of risk. Merely cleaning ground-floor windows is fairly risk-free, however in most cases, workers within this profession have to scale entire buildings to make sure that every window pane looks spotless.

Back in the day, window cleaners very rarely had to clean any building more than three storeys high. However, as skyscrapers, tower blocks and modern glass-fronted offices became more widespread, so did the number of difficult jobs for window cleaners. In extreme cases, some jobs involved scaling heights of over 500 feet, which can be especially challenging if it is your first day on the job.

Material world
Today, height isn’t the only challenge that window cleaners face. Many modern high-rise buildings are covered almost entirely in glass. This means that they have to clean a larger surface, which requires greater mobility.
At the same time, glass-fronted buildings are also more difficult to hold on to, meaning that the safety of cleaners when working on such structures is even more questionable.
The Empire State Building is a prime example of a glass-fronted skyscraper which can be a nightmare to get cleaned. That, coupled with its impressive height, makes it one of the most dangerous buildings on earth that a window cleaner could possibly work on. A lack of friction on the surface means that cleaners have no choice but to use a harness.

Strings attached
In order to scale large buildings, window cleaners tend to use:

  •          (For buildings that are no taller than four storeys); A really long ladder
  •          A harness for really tall buildings that don’t have straight, flat surfaces
  •          A large suspended scaffold for some skyscrapers that’s erected at the top of the building and moved up and down when needed by someone at ground level

All three are, with supervision, safe to use when everything has been checked. Unfortunately, there’s still an inherent risk in this form of work, with the danger of plummeting hundreds of feet to the ground, should the harness or scaffold used be unstable or insecure.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

SAFETY FIRST: WHEN FALL PROTECTION IS NEEDED (GUEST POST)

Sent to us by Maire Hunter:

Many workplaces—including factories, warehouses and construction sites—have work areas and conditions that expose employees to certain dangers. To minimize these risks and keep employees out of harm, safety measures must be in place. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration establishes workplace safety regulations and enforces them at various work sites.

In general, fall protection is needed whenever workers are exposed to a potential drop of more than a few feet. A variety of safety measures may be required in these situations, and workers and/or employers may also choose to take additional precautions in addition to those mandated by regulators. Read on to learn more about the various protective equipment that may be used in a work setting.

Protective Barrier

Any area where a drop to another level is present should be outfitted with a protective barrier, such as a guardrail. Depending on your local regulations and your work setting, a guardrail should at least be comprised of a toprail near waist height, as well as a midrail and toeboard to prevent slips and falls underneath the toprail. This applies to even temporary structures, such as supported scaffolding.

Harnesses and Other Supports


When working at heights, harnesses are the most common form of protection. Beam straps are common protective equipment at steel beam construction sites; the straps are anchored around overhead beams and can move along the beam as you walk up and down performing various tasks. These can also be used in combination with safety nets, which are set up around the perimeter of a structure to catch individuals and equipment that fall from a great height.

In other cases, harnesses will be worn to catch you in the event of a fall. In some cases, such as when painting and washing windows, you may be suspended from a height wearing a harness. By making sure the harness is designed for regular use in protecting falls, you can give yourself the greatest degree of safety possible.

Fall Protection Gear

Personal fall protection gear can provide a number of protections in any fall situation. Preventing a fall is always the primary goal, and there are a variety of items and tools that will help improve the safety and function of harnesses and other fall protection products. Body belts, carabiners, lanyards, rope grabs and other specialty anchors should be on hand at work sites so they can be brought in as replacements when other equipment wears down or breaks.

Insisting on Safety in the Workplace

While OSHA makes an effort to inspect various work sites to ensure regulations are being followed at all times, this doesn’t guarantee 100 percent compliance. Whether intentional or accidental, some work settings may fail to provide adequately safe working conditions. Employees may be hesitant to refuse to work in these unsafe conditions because they don’t want to ruffle feathers, but that’s a dangerous move for anyone. By demanding safe working conditions, you’re only asking that the law be followed. Don’t be afraid to speak up and request the necessary precautions.

The presence of protective gear can greatly reduce the risk of a fall or the damage resulting from such an incident. Employees should familiarize themselves with regulations so that they know what to expect and demand. There’s nothing to be gained by taking these risks, so don’t allow yourself to be put in a potentially dangerous situation.

Fall Safety

PLEASE HELP ME, I’M FALLING!

When it comes to falling, most of us have had close calls but have been lucky enough to get our balance before it happened.   There are more than 3 million disabling injuries each year in the workplace, and more than 1 in 10 is because of trips, slips, and falls.  In the U.S. construction industry, falls are the leading cause of fatalities.  More than 100,000 injuries at construction sites are the results of falls.

What can we do about them?  If any of these hazards exist at your workplace, fix them:

  • Slippery floors from spills.  Clean up wet spots immediately.  Put up signs where floors have recently been mopped.  If you work on slippery surfaces, wear shoes that have slip-resistant soles.
  • Obstructed view.  Do not carry bulky or heavy objects that you can’t see over.
  • Drawers and file cabinets left open.  Watch for open drawers and close them when they aren’t being used.
  • Loose carpet or bad flooring.  This is unsafe for all employees.  Insist that they be repaired immediately.
  • Stairs, ramps and escalators.  Always use handrails.  These should have adequate lighting.
  • Improper use of ladders.  Always use safety rules when standing on a ladder.  Hold on with one hand if you need to be higher while doing a task.  Do not use an office chair as a ladder.  Stepladders work quite well for reaching items on top of shelves or file cabinets.
  • Icy sidewalks.  How many workers have fallen just trying to get to their jobs?  It should be the responsibility of the employer to see that salt is placed on the sidewalks before workers (or customers) arrive.
  • Clutter.  Whether you work in an office or warehouse, there’s no reason to leave things sitting in traffic areas.
  • Improper anchorage for those who work in construction.  Lanyards, body harnesses, and other means of security must be used to ensure workers’ safety. A local roofing company employee recently fell to his death, when the roof collapsed, and he was not wearing a harness.

Let’s all do our part to see that our workspaces are safe for the other person, and the proper equipment is used as needed.