Category: Fall Protection Safety

OSHA National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

OSHA has produced a number of resources in support of the national Fall Prevention Campaign since its inception in 2012.  Perhaps the best opportunity for businesses to show support for this important OSHA initiative will arrive in June 2014 via the National Safety Stand Down for Fall Protection.  OSHA is encouraging construction professionals nationwide to halt work activity during the week of June 2nd  for the purpose of dedicating time to educate workers about the importance fall protection safety.

Preventing Falls in Construction - National Safety Stand Down

OSHA Fall Prevention Safety Stand Down

Employers, contractors, trade associations, government affiliates, unions, and professional societies are all encouraged to participate in the nationwide Fall Prevention Safety Stand Down event.  OSHA is even providing a Certificate of Participation for employers that provide feedback to OSHA about their participation by July 15th.

Topics of discussion during your stand down event may include safety topics such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment, or scaffolds safety.  Participants are invited to discuss work hazard identification and risk management, fall prevention best practices, and company safety policies.  Stand Down for Safety will provide the opportunity to directly discuss a preventable and prevalent cause of death or injury in construction.

National Safety Stand Down Resources

In addition to the opportunity for businesses and organizations to take part in the National Safety Stand Down, OSHA will be sponsoring events nationwide and has provided free education and training resources in support of the cause.

IAS will be participating in the OSHA Fall Prevention Safety Stand Down 2014 and hope you are also excited to take part.  We encourage you to share your Stand Down stories with us and invite you to call our office at (800) 388-6884 for the opportunity to collaborate, motivate and celebrate our mutual interest in preventing falls.

OSHA Alliance and Fixed Ladders or Stairways for Fall Prevention

The OSHA Alliance Program is a cooperative effort to leverage resources related to safety initiatives, communication, and training.  OSHA Alliance includes ‘unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses, and educational institutions’ that promote work safety and support OSHA’s strategic goals.  Alliance members must be committed to working closely with OSHA and establishing teams or individual workers to facilitate the cause, while maintaining and growing knowledge and a safe work environment.  In addition to internal safety benefits, Alliance members are able to maintain progressive dialogue with OSHA and other champions of work safety.  To learn more, contact your OSHA Regional Office.

OSHA Ladder Fall Prevention Campaign

One of OSHA’s ongoing strategic goals is to mitigate risks and increase knowledge regarding falls from ladders.  Fall incidents are the leading cause of deaths in construction and present a wide range of potential work hazards.  Considering the variability of material, application, and objective for ladders and stairs, it is not surprising that OSHA produces a significant amount of standards and guidelines for fall protection safety.  In addition to OSHA’s ongoing Ladder Fall Prevention Campaign, requirements and resources that support this cause are provided by specialized organizations such as ANSI and MSHA (Mining Ladder Safety).

OSHA Alliance Solution: Fixed Ladders or Stairways

The OSHA Alliance Program has produced a summary solution document as a resource for preventing falls from ladders in construction work environments.  This Construction Safety Design Solution recommends specifying fixed ladders or stairways early on to eliminate the hazards and risks associated with portable ladders and to ensure proper ladder or stairway specifications for access to upper levels.  The document also provides links to applicable OSHA regulations and ANSI standards for detailed information. Visit OSHA Alliance member Prevention through Design for more work safety resources.

Custom Fixed Ladder or Stairway Design

Innovative Access Solutions has been producing fixed ladders and stairways for construction, manufacturing, maritime, energy, and other industries for many years.

Fixed Access Staircase     Fixed Access Ladder

Information about how IAS can help support your work safety initiatives is available at IAScustom.com, or click the above images to browse our custom design gallery.

Mining Industry Ladder Safety

The MSHA (Mining Safety & Health Administration) recently published an excellent summary of ladder safety standards for the mining industry.  The MSHA was formed to ‘administer the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act).  MSHA carries out the mandates of the Mine Act at all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, commodity mined, or method of extraction.’

The published document covers all topics and categories related to ladder safety training, from the basics of safe access requirements, requirements for each ladder category and special circumstances such as alternating tread and underground ladders.  This blog post will summarize standards related to Fixed Ladders, Mobile Equipment Ladders, and the basics of Access Requirements, Ladder Construction and Maintenance. For complete access to this valuable MSHA resource, mining professionals are encouraged to download the Mining Ladder Safety Standards PDF.

Safe Access & Construction and Maintenance

The MSHA standards document provides a detailed summary of possible mining ladder safety citations complete with images of compliant and non-compliant ladders.  In addition to common sense factors such as the condition and strength of a ladder, factors such as the height of the bottom rung, the width of the ladder uprights, ladders that require workers to climb over obstructions to mount or unmount, and other potential fall hazards are described. In some cases personal fall protection equipment such as lanyards and harnesses may also be required.

Fixed Ladders

Fixed ladders have been assigned highly detailed requirements specific to the application.  In many cases, safety measures such as landings, backguards, and protection for openings at the upper level are required.  To review these complex standards, we recommend reviewing the Mining Ladder Safety Standards presentation for details.

Mobile Equipment Ladders

“Fixed mobile equipment ladders must comply with applicable fixed ladder standards such as 30 CFR §§ 56/57.11005 and 30 CFR §§ 56/57.11017.”

The details provided in the MSHA ladder standards document are extended to include even standards for mobile equipment ladders.  These ladders must be maintained the same as other ladders and when affixed to equipment, fall under the fixed ladder category.  The uniqueness of mobile equipment fixed ladders leads to certain exemptions and standards that may also apply to walkways that provide access to operator cabs.

For information about designing custom ladder access solutions for your mining facility, contact Innovative Access Solutions, LLC.

Fall Protection PPE Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) covers a wide range of industries and safety objectives, from law enforcement to sports, industrial settings, contractors and even casual retail environments.  The various functions of PPE are designed to protect hazards in support of work safety policies and controls.  These can range from bodily injury, exposure to environmental threats, breathing mechanisms, and much more.

With OSHA having a renewed focus on Fall Protection and having imposed new rules for Fall Protection PPE, businesses in a range of industries are investing heavily in fall protection equipment.  Consider the following review of Fall Protection PPE equipment and how it can help to reduce injuries at your workplace.

Personal Protective Equipment Options for Workplace Fall Protection Safety

Personal Protective Equipment is required by OSHA when positive fall protection such as guardrails, access platforms, gangways, catwalks, and stairways are unavailable.

When guardrails and other positive fall protection are not available to protect from falls, workers must use personal fall protection systems (such as harnesses, lanyards, lifelines). [29 CFR 1910.67, 29 CFR 1915.71, 29 CFR 1915.73, and 29 CFR 1915.77]

Harnesses & Lanyards

Harnesses and lanyards are considered personal protective equipment since each individual worker must be fitted with the equipment for fall protection safety, as opposed to an all encompassing solution.  A lanyard is the rope or other length of connection between a single point anchor source and a safety harness, worn by an employee.  Snap hooks, D-rings and caribiners are utilized to ensure a safe connection.  Anchors must be secured and can be affixed to a variety of stable structures.  The complete fall protection system must be able to adequately support the weight of the employee.  Fall protection PPE systems are typically categorized as a fall restraint system, which prevents falls similar to a car seat belt, and a fall arrest system, which catches a falling worker prior to contact with the ground or other solid structure.

Fall Restraint Systems

The advantage of fall restraint systems is the prevention of the need to absorb the shock and otherwise prevent further injury in the event of a fall.  Further, in cases where the environment requires rescue efforts in the case of a fall, a fall arrest system is preferred.  Generally speaking, fall arrest systems are more safe and less expensive, while more limiting and often less efficient in a workplace.

Fall Arrest Systems

Fall arrest systems often require shock absorbing lanyards and must be carefully considered to avoid further injuring the employee when a fall occurs.  These systems are often used in work environments such as roofing, construction, and shipyards.  In these work environments, a fall is more permissible compared to a mining operation or manufacturing plant with heavy machinery.

Horizontal and Vertical Lifelines

Lifelines are a broad range of fall protection equipment that can be applied for horizontal applications such as roofs or ship decks, as well as vertical applications such as enclosed spaces or ladder systems.  As opposed to a single point anchor, lifelines provide more freedom of movement as they are typically connected to a cable, pipe, or other continuous structure.  Horizontal systems can be designed to provide ultimate movement flexibility via pass through systems, overhead connections, and other similarly unobtrusive mechanisms.  Vertical lifelines can be track based or climb assist systems on ladders at heights, or pulley operated systems for confined spaces and similar applications.  In each case, lifelines generally differ from harness and lanyard systems in so much that they are less mobile and more of a direct method for cases where fall protection risk is consistent and eminent.

The Trucker™ Series of Ladders Rated as ANSI Type IAA

The Trucker™ Series of ladders was recently tested and passed ANSI Type IAA Special Duty performance requirements.  ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard A14.7-2007 applies to portable metal ladders and provides duty ratings from 200 to 375 pound capacity.  Type IAA is the maximum 375 lb. duty rating, described as an Extra Heavy Duty Industrial Ladder.

The Trucker™ Series of ladders are safety engineered to reduce fall injuries and improve efficiency when accessing truck trailer decks.  The Trucker ladders provide dimpled Wide Grip Strut® plank steps, feature handrails that extend above the deck to provide 3 points of contact, and are engineered with a diagonal stairway design for ease of access.  The ladders meet and exceed the general requirements provided by OSHA for ladder safety:

When there is a break in elevation of 19 inches(48 cm) or more and no ramp, runway, embankment or personnel hoist is available, employers must provide a stairway or ladder at all worker points of access.
Source: Stairways & Ladders: A Guide to OSHA Rules

 

ANSI

ANSI A14.7-2007 Testing Procedures

The Trucker™ ladders underwent tests far exceeding the duty rating, passing test loads in excess of 1200 lbs. to meet the requirements of the 375 pound special duty rating.  Tests included In-Use Inclined Load Test, Step / Rung Bending Strength Tests, Side-to-Side-Rail Shear Strength Tests, Rung Torque Tests, and Handrail Tests.  With a durable design including CNC billet mounting hooks and extruded aluminum frame, The Trucker Series of Ladders offer the durability to provide mobile safety for truck fleets, stationary trailers, or individual truck drivers when accessing the trailer deck.

 

The Trucker Series of Ladders

The Trucker™ Series of Ladders

The Trucker™ ladders are designed to mount to a variety of flatbed trailers including drop deck, roll tarp, curtain side, and more.  The Trucker Series of ladders feature plank steps and a pivoting bottom step, and fold up compactly for storage and mobility.  Additional ANSI rated Trucker ladders include a shorter two step ladder and longer four step ladder, originally designed for crane trucks.  Mounting options include the standard CNC mounting hooks, for mounting throughout the stake rack, or steel brackets for more permanent ladder placement.

The Safety & Numbers blog is pleased to highlight The Trucker™ Series of ladders as a valuable equipment investment for businesses to improve work safety.  Trucker ladders provide features designed for the mobile truck driver or service fleet.  In addition to the compact design, lockable storage racks and accompanying flatbed work platforms can provide safety on and off the work site.

The Importance of Fall Protection in Construction: INFOGRAPHIC

The national initiative to improve fall protection measures has been a topic that we have touched on in various posts throughout 2013.  The statistics are eye opening: In 2012, Falls killed more than 1 construction worker every 2 days, and the trend continues to grow.  Have a look at our newest infographic to consider the need for Construction Fall Protection and get started implementing work safety policies to reduce your risk.