Falls are the second leading cause of occupational fatalities and disabling injuries in the United States. Each year, more than 500 workers die in fall-related accidents and over 300,000 workers suffer
a disabling injury.

Most of these fatalities and disabling injuries, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), are the result of falls from elevations of 10 feet or less.

Duty to have Fall Protection:
OSHA requires employers to determine if the walking/working surfaces on which employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to support them and their equipment safely. Employees are not permitted to work on building roofs and other walking/working surfaces until the employer has determined that these surfaces have the requisite strength and structural integrity.

Employees performing work on walking/working surfaces (horizontal and vertical surfaces) with an unprotected side or edge 6 feet or more above a lower level must be protected from falls
by guardrail systems, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems.

Falls can take place at any time and during a variety of elevated work tasks. According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) study:
• Seventeen percent of the workers who fell were loading and unloading material when the fall occurred.
• Thirteen percent of the workers who fell were involved in operating, repairing, cleaning or installing equipment.
• Ten percent of the workers were performing carpentry tasks.
• The remaining activities that resulted in falls included painting, welding, roof work, sheet metal work and bricklaying.
• The BLS survey also asked participants to describe their specific movements at the time of the fall.
• Twenty-eight percent of the workers who fell said they were climbing up or down from an elevated position or location.
• Thirteen percent of the workers were walking at the time they fell.
• Eleven percent of the workers were stepping from one surface to another.
• Ten percent of the workers were moving backwards.

Most of the fatalities and injuries reported in the BLS study could have been avoided by the effective use of fall protection measures and equipment. Fall protection is defined as any means or
system used to protect employees from falling from an elevated walking/working surface. Fall protection involves the elimination, prevention and/or control of fall hazards.

The elimination of fall hazards involves the use of engineering controls and alternative work methods that do not expose employees to fall hazards such as the use of vehicle mounted work platforms.

The prevention of fall hazards involves the installation of guardrails, covers and other barriers around stairs, floors, wall openings, equipment and the edges of roofs.

The control of fall hazards involves the use of safety nets, warning lines, safety monitoring systems and personal fall arrest equipment such as body harnesses, lanyards and lifelines.

Developing a Fall Protection Program
There are 12 components or steps involved in the development, implementation and maintenance of an effective fall protection program.

Step 1. Determine if walking/working surfaces are structurally safe.
Step 2. Conduct a fall protection hazard assessment.
Step 3. Eliminate the need for fall protection if possible.
Step 4. Select the appropriate type of fall protection system.
Step 5. Develop rescue and retrieval procedures.
Step 6. Develop a written fall protection plan, if applicable.
Step 7. Solicit assistance from the Division of Facilities Development to to eliminate, prevent and/or control fall hazards.
Step 8. Purchase fall protection systems and equipment, if applicable.
Step 9. Develop a fall protection equipment inspection, maintenance and, storage program.
Step 10. Provide fall protection training.
Step 11. Promote the fall protection program.
Step 12. Monitor the fall protection program.

OSHA has developed standards to prevent workers in general industry and in construction from falling through skylights and roof and floor openings. The OSHA General Industry Standard requires
that each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels by PFAS (personal fall arrest system), covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes [29 CFR 1926.501(b)(4)(i)]. Each of these systems is described in detail in 29 CFR 1926.502.

Personal fall arrest system [PFAS] means a system used to arrest a worker in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, a body belt or body harness, and may include a lanyard,
deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations of these. As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited [29 CFR 1926.500(b)].

Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment shall be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000
pounds per employee attached, or shall be designed and used as follows: (i) as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two; and (ii) under the supervision of a qualified person [29 CFR 1926.502(d) (15)(i)(ii)].

Covers located in roadways and vehicular aisles shall be capable of supporting, without failure, at least twice the maximum axle load of the largest vehicle expected to cross over the cover [29 CFR
1926.502(i)(1)].

All other covers shall be capable of supporting, without failure, at least twice the weight of employees, equipment and materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one time [29 CFR 1926.502(i)(2)].

All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent displacement by the wind, equipment or employees [29 CFR 1926.502(i)(3)]. All covers shall be color coded, or they shall be marked with the word “HOLE” or “COVER” to provide warning of the hazard. Note: this provision does not apply to cast iron manhole covers or steel grates used on streets or roadways [29 CFR 1926.502(i)(4)].

Guardrail system means a barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels [29 CFR 1926.500(b)]. (Note: See 29 CFR 1926.502(b)(1) through (15) Guardrail systems, which details requirements for the installation and use of guardrails. Selected paragraphs that describe requirements when guardrail systems are used around holes are included below.)

When guardrails are used at holes, they shall be erected on all unprotected sides or edges of the holes [29 CFR 1926.502(b)(11)].

When guardrails are used around holes used for the passage of materials, the holes shall have not more than two sides provided with removable guardrail sections to allow the passage of materials. When the hole is not in use, it shall be closed over with a cover, or a guardrail system shall
be provided along all unprotected sides or edges [CFR 1926.502(b)(12)].

When guardrails are used around holes that are used as points of access (such as ladderways), they shall be provided with a gate or be so offset that a person cannot walk directly into a hole
[29 CFR 1926.502 (b)(13)]. FSM