Week 23 – Fall Protection

Let’s Review
I recently heard a safety professional say all the lanyards on the market now are rated so that you can tie them back to themselves – I checked and THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!
So I thought this would be a good time to review some other Fall Protection Facts
But first remember you cannot tie a lanyard back to itself UNLESS it is rated for this application and MOST ARE NOT (it could prove deadly in a fall situation as the safety latch would not hold)
-MSHA requires 100% tie-off when working at an elevation …TRUE which means you may need to have a second lanyard (to travel)
-It is OK to secure the lanyard to any D-ring for fall protection…FALSE, the back D-ring is the only one that should be used for fall protection…the other rings have other functions (positioning, vertical assent, rescue, etc.)
-Chest and leg straps must be secured to keep the wearer from slipping out of the harness in the event of a fall …TRUE, leg straps should be snug and the chest strap must be fastened.
-The ideal place for an anchor point is about waist high… FALSE, it is best to tie off overhead whenever you can to avoid banging into the level below you if you fall.
-Since fall protection equipment generally has a five to seven year work life it only needs to be inspected annually…False! The wearer must inspect the equipment prior to each use AND it must be inspected annually by a competent person.
-SRL (Self Retracting Lifelines) should be serviced routinely…TRUE! The brakes and cable should be checked every 1-2 years depending on the manufacturer and conditions of use.
Whether you're on the job or working around the house, be aware of the 4 Mental States that lead to TROUBLE
- Rushing, Fatigue, Frustration, Complacency
FYI, from the BLS: In 2005, U.S. workers died from an injury while at work at a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 workers. Males accounted for 93% of all deaths and had a work-related fatality rate approximately 12 times the rate for females. Workers aged 35-54 accounted for 46% of workplace deaths.
Approximately 43% of fatal work-related injuries resulted from transportation incidents 58% (1,428) of these deaths involved highway incidents (i.e., incidents that occurred on public roads and surrounding areas such as roadway shoulders).
The remaining categories with the highest rates of fatal occupational injuries were
-Contact with objects or equipment (18%) - being struck by a falling object such as a tree, being crushed during a cave-in while digging ditches, or getting caught in running machinery) Stay out of the Line of Fire and Think about what you are doing.
-Assaults/Violent acts (14%) - Be aware of what is going on around you
-Falls (13%) - Eyes and Mind on Task