Introduction to Fall Protection
The University of Tennessee
Office of Environmental Health & Safety
What is Fall Protection?
Fall Protection from an
Historical Perspective
“When one falls, it is not one’s foot that is to blame.”
- Chinese proverb
For thousands of years man has used ropes and
various knots to help or secure objects against the
forces of gravity. Some of the earlier users could be
found on sailing ships, in church steeple
construction and maintenance, and in treetrimming trades. The use of ropes and some type of
body belt for restraint or work positioning support
found particular interest during stormy seas and
above the decks of ships. I have always been told,
“It’s not the fall that hurts you – it’s that sudden
stop.”
Physics of a Fall
A body in motion (free fall) can cover vast distances in a
short period of time.
Consider this:
A body in free fall can travel 4 ft in 0.5 seconds
A body in free fall can travel 16 ft. in 1 second
A body in free fall can travel 64 ft. in 2 seconds
Physics of a Fall
Think of it this way:
a. We have a sports car that can go from 0 to 60 mph in
4.7 sec.
b. You fall from an elevation 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 sec.
Guess what? YOU WIN!
It takes an average person ¾ of a second to react! In ¾
of a second you have fallen 10 feet. Now, are you ready
for sky diving?
Slips, Trips and Falls on same
Level
and from Elevation
Slips, Trips and Falls
Fall related injury reports related to falls are
commonly reported as a slips, trips and falls.
These are then divided into two groups: Falls on
same level and falls from elevation. Of all
reported, falls from the same level are the most
common.
Statistics
•Falls
33%
•Struck By
18%
•Electrical
17%
•Caught In
18%
Statistics
•Falls are the number one cause of fatalities in the
construction industry.
•150-200 workers are killed each year and more than
100,000 injured as a result of falls.
•Overall (including general industry) falls are the number
two biggest cause of fatalities in the U.S. (motor vehicle
accidents are number one).
The highest
mortality
rate is falls
from roofing
followed by
structure and
then
catwalks
with ladders
a close
fourth.
What can I do to prevent falls?
What can I do to prevent falls?
1.Take time to inspect the work area, note hazards and
eliminate if feasible.
a.Engineering control – redesign – install guards,
rails, cover open holes.
b.Maintain good housekeeping.
c.Establish a fall protection system.
General Requirements
Housekeeping
Workplaces must be kept clean,
orderly, and sanitary
Workroom floors must be
maintained as clean and dry as
possible
General Requirements
Aisles and Passageways
1. Keep clear and move obstructions that could create
a hazard
2. Mark permanent aisles and passageways
3. Aisles must be sufficiently wide where mechanical
handling equipment is used
General Requirements
Covers and Guardrails
Provide covers and/or guardrails
to protect workers from the
hazards of open pits, tanks,
vats, ditches, and the like.
Floor Opening
An opening measuring 12 inches
or more in its least dimension in
a floor, platform, pavement, or
yard, through which persons
may fall.
Floor Opening
FLOOR OPEN MUST BE GUARDED!
Standard railing. Consists of top rail, mid rail, and
posts. Height from the upper surface of top rail to
floor level is 42 inches. Mid rail height is 21 inches.
Standard toeboard. 4 inches high, with not more
than ¼-inch clearance above the floor.
Stairway Floor Openings
Must be guarded by a standard railing on all exposed
sides (except at entrance).
Ladderway Floor Openings
Guard with a standard railing
with toeboard on all exposed
sides (except entrance)
Guard the passage through the
railing with a swinging gate or
offset it to prevent someone
from walking into the opening
Example: Drywell access, pipe
chase, etc.
Floor Hole
An opening measuring less than 12 in. but more than 1
in. in its least dimension, in a floor, platform, pavement
or yard, through which materials but not persons may
fall.
Floor Hole
Every floor hole into which persons can accidentally
walk must be guarded by either:
1. Standard railing with toeboard
2. Cover
Wall Openings
Opening at least 30 in. high and 18 in. wide, in a wall
or partition, through which persons may fall.
In addition: wall openings from which there is a drop
of more than 4 feet must be guarded.
Open-Sided Floors and
Platforms
Open-sided floors or platforms 4
feet or more above adjacent
floor or ground level must be
guarded by a standard railing
(or equivalent) on all open
sides, except where there is an
entrance to a ramp, stairway, or
fixed ladder
Open-Sided Floors and
Platforms
A toeboard is required when, beneath the open sides: a
person can pass; there is moving machinery, or there is
equipment with which falling materials could create a
hazard.
Regardless of height, a standard railing and toeboard
must be used to guard:
- open-sided floors
- walkways
- platforms, or
- runways
above or adjacent to dangerous equipment, pickling or
galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, and similar
hazards.
Stairways
Flights of stairs with four or
more risers must have standard
stair railings or handrails.
Portable Ladders
1. Ladders used to gain access
to a roof or other area must
extend at least 3 feet above
the point of support.
2. Withdraw defective ladders
from service and tag or mark
"Dangerous, Do Not Use“
3. Never use ladders in a
horizontal position as
scaffolds or work platforms
4. Never use metal ladders
near electrical equipment
Ladder Angle
Portable Rung and Cleat Ladders
Use at angle where the
horizontal distance from the top
support to the foot of the ladder
is ¼ the working length of the
ladder (length along ladder
between the foot and top
support).
Fixed Ladders
Permanently attached to a
structure, building or equipment
1.Cages or wells required if
longer than 20 ft. to a
maximum unbroken length of
30 ft.
2.Ladder safety devices may be
used on tower, water tank and
chimney ladders over 20 ft. in
unbroken length instead of
cage protection (example:
Intramural lights).
Scaffolding
General Requirements
1. Must be capable of
supporting four times the
maximum intended load
2. Do not alter or move while in
use
3. Protect workers on scaffolds
from overhead hazards
4. If higher than 10 ft., use
guardrails, midrails and
toeboards
5. Use wire mesh between the
toeboard and guardrail if
people work or pass
underneath
6. Must be equipped with
access ladder or equivalent
Fall Protection Systems
Fall protection systems can consist of devices
that arrest a free fall or devices that
restrain a worker in a position to prevent a
fall from occurring.
1.Fall protection is required when one or more
employees have exposure to falls of six feet
or greater to the lower level. 4-ft. in General
Industry and 10-ft. from Scaffolding.
2.Surfaces must be inspected before the work
begins.
3.Employees are only permitted to be on
surfaces that are strong enough to support
them.
A Fall Arrest System
Full-body Harnesses and Belts
Full-body harnesses wrap around the waist,
shoulders and legs. A D-ring located in the
center of the back provides a connecting point
for lanyards or other fall arrest connection
devices.
Belts are used in positioning system
applications. These belts have two side D-rings,
and are used only for restraining a worker in
position.
Attachment Location
OSHA Standard:
1926.502(d)(17)
The attachment of the body
harness must be located in
the center of the wearer's
back, near the shoulder
level, or above the head.
Body Harness
Never use a body
harness to hoist
materials.
Body harnesses are
designed to minimize stress
forces on an employee's
body in the event of a fall,
while providing sufficient
freedom of movement to
allow work to be performed.
Body Harnesses
As of January 1,
1998, body belts
are not acceptable
as part of a
personal fall arrest
system, because
they impose a
danger of internal
injuries when
stopping a fall.
Never use for personal
fall arrest
OSHA Standard:
1926.502(d)(18)
Administrative Rules and Fall
Arrest Maintenance
When fall protection of any kind is provided, the
project’s competent person must teach workers
the limitations to that system’s effectiveness.
All employees exposed to fall hazards must receive
training by a competent person that addresses:
•The nature of fall hazards in the work area
•Procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling
and inspecting fall arrest equipment
•Use and operation of fall arrest equipment
NIOSH ALERT!
Fatal falls may result from failure to provide
appropriate guarding and fall protection for
work around skylights,
Skylight openings,
and other roof
openings.
Scene of a skylight accident where a worker fell to his death
Quiz
To complete the Introduction To Fall Protection Training Module, please click here for the
quiz