Following findings that deathly falls during the construction work day had reached new heights in 2021, everyone in the industry has had a renewed focus on prevention. With the short, dark and often slippery days of winter setting in, now’s a good time for contractors to refresh their fall prevention strategies.
Integrating Safety Into Every Workday
For ultimate success, it is critical for fall prevention efforts to be woven into the course of doing business every day, rather than seeing it as a “one and done” training workshop. Needless to say, ongoing attention is necessary given the number of workplace deaths associated with falls: “In 2021, nearly 1 in 5 workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry. Just over one-third of construction deaths were due to falls, slips, and trips. Of these, almost all were from falls to a lower level. The construction industry accounted for 46.2 percent of all fatal falls, slips, and trips in 2021.”
According to Construction Pros, successful workplace safety programs include these key elements:
- Education of employees through training programs that focus on fall protection practices
- Business owners and management show they are committed to workplace safety as they are to other aspects of the business
- Regular inspection of the fall protection equipment, replacing worn or broken equipment as needed
- Employers must provide their employees with the proper equipment and fall prevention measures in order to avoid fall-related injuries. This might include items such as:
- Evaluate your plan regularly to identify how well it’s performing and if any updates are needed
- Fall Prevention Strategies for the Workplace
- Employers must provide their employees with the proper equipment and fall prevention measures in order to avoid fall-related injuries. This might include items such as:
Within the U.S. Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s three pillar strategy for fall prevention, Plan, Provide, Train includes these pointers:
- Employers must plan projects to ensure that the job is done safely. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved, and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.When estimating the cost of a job, employers should include safety equipment, and plan to have all the necessary equipment and tools available at the construction site….
- Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. To protect these workers, employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear.
- Every worker should be trained on proper set-up and safe use of equipment they use on the job. Employers must train workers in recognizing hazards on the job. See educational materials and resources page for posters, factsheets, and other training materials.
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