Fall Protection Guide: How to Put the Five Main Rules into Practi

1. GET RID OF: Think about whether you can design the hazards out of the situation or get rid of the purpose of being near them. A fall protection guide would recommend evaluating alternatives that eliminate the risk.
Washing the windows on the second floor is a basic example. In this case, Company A sends the window washer to the job site on an extension ladder, while Company B washes the same windows with an extension pole and the worker standing on the ground.
Which of the circumstances above do you believe is the safest?

2. STOP AND/OR PROTECT: If you can't get rid of the danger, the next step is to stop it from happening or protect yourself. A fall protection guide would recommend using guardrails, physical barriers (like a fence, wall, or parapet), or demarcation (such as markers or control zones) to keep workers from getting to a fall area.

3. RESTRAIN: If guardrails and other physical barriers aren't possible, you may use a fixed-length rope and harness to make a travel-limiting device.

4. STOP THE FALL: If none of the three methods above are possible, then a fall arrest system or safety netting must be used to stop the fall.

5. PROCEDURAL CONTROLS: Your company should only think about using procedural controls for working near a fall hazard as a last resort, and only if none of the other options are available and OH&S approves it.

If you have any more questions about how your business may better follow the Five Key Principles of Fall Protection, click the link below to talk to a safety expert in fall protection at Height Works today. Our experts can come to your site to figure out which part of the fall protection guide best fits your needs and/or application.

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