Fall Protection for Construction

A Survival Guide

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).

Statistics

• Falls 33%

• Struck By 18%

• Electrical 17%

• Caught In 18%

Statistics

• 40% of the fatalities were from heights over 40 feet

• Most falls occur on scaffolds or roofs

• 25% of fall fatalities were from heights of 11-20 feet

• 25% of fall fatalities were from heights of 20-30 feet

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

Application of Regulations

• Subpart M (1926.500) applies to fall protection during construction activities

• There are a few exceptions from this rule for the following activities:– Inspection– Investigation– Assessing conditions prior to or after the work

is performed

Application of Regulations

• Other existing standards for fall protection are discussed in different standards (subpart M would not cover the following items):– Scaffolds (Subpart L)– Cranes (Subpart N)– Steel Erection (Subpart R)– Stairs and Ladders (Subpart X)– Power Transmission (Subpart V)

Contents of Subpart M Fall Protection

• 500: Scope, Application and definitions

• 501: Duty to have fall protection

• 502: Fall protection systems

• 503: Training Requirements

• Appendices– A: Roof widths– B: Guardrail systems– C: Fall arrest systems– D: Positioning device

systems– E: Fall Protection Plan

Duty to Have Fall Protection1926.501

• Fall protection is required when one or more employees have exposure to falls of six feet or greater to the lower level.

• Surfaces must be inspected before the work begins.

• Employees are only permitted to be on surfaces that are strong enough to support them.

Duty to Have Fall Protection

• The following areas require fall protection when employees are exposed to falls (six feet or greater):– Leading edges– Ramps/runways– Residential construction– Hoist areas– Wall and floor openings

– Unprotected sides and edges

– Above dangerous equipment (any height)

– Overhand brick laying– Steep or low slope roofs– Walking surfaces– Form work and

reinforcing steel– Excavations, wells, pits– Precast concrete

Duty to have Fall ProtectionLow Slope Roofs

• Low slope roofs (under 50 feet in width):– Fall protection systems

or– Safety monitor (with

elements required in this subpart)

• Low slope roofs (50 feet width or greater):– Fall protection systems

(safety nets, guardrails, PFAS) or combination of

– Warning lines and safety monitor or

– Warning lines and guardrails or PFAS

Protection from Falling Objects1926.501(c)

• Protection from falling objects is a requirement.

• Employee working in an area where there is a danger of falling objects must wear a hard hat.

• Employer must take steps to protect employees from hazards (establish barricades or build canopies).

Types of Fall Protection

• Passive are protective systems that do not involve the actions of employees.

• Active includes systems and components that require manipulation by employees to make them effective in providing protection.

Examples of Fall Protection

• Passive system include:– Guardrails– Safety nets– Covers– Fences – Barricades

• Active systems components (personal fall arrest system-PFAS) include:– Anchorage points– Lanyard– Snap hooks– Life lines– Body harness

Active Systems

• Designed to operate in free fall situations.• Must be connected to other

systems/components or activated to provide protection.

• Active systems are designed to protect employees from the following items:– Falls– Forces that can cause injury

Guardrails 1926.502(b)

• Guardrails are the most common form of fall protection.

• May be made of wood, pipe, structural steel, or wire rope.– Flags must be provided on

wire rope to increase visibility.

• Must have top rail, mid rail, posts and toe board.

• System must be strong enough to support 200 pounds of force applied to the top rail.

• Steel or plastic bands are not acceptable.

Guardrails Design Criteria 1926.502(b)

• The top rail must be elevated above the surface 39-45 inches and must be free of jagged edges.

• The mid rail must be located between the top rail and the walking surface.

• Posts must be spaced no greater than 8 feet.• Toe boards must be made of a solid material

with no openings greater than one inch and be 3.5 inches high.

• Chains or movable rails must be used near hoists.

Safety Net Systems1926.502(c)

• Placed beneath the working surface (not to exceed 30 feet) to catch personnel or falling material.

• Must be placed as close to the hazard as possible.• Equipment must be drop tested and certified. • Must be inspected weekly and after impact.• Openings can not exceed six inches.• Defective equipment can not be used.• Safety nets must extend outward from the outer most

projection of the work surfaces.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems 1926.502(d)

• Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS) shall not be tied to a guardrail system or hoists.

• All components of a fall arrest system must be inspected before each use and after impact.

• Action must be taken promptly to rescue fallen employees.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems 1926.502(d)

• When stopping a fall, a PFAS must:– Limit the arresting force to 1800 pounds.– Be rigid so that an employee can not fall more than 6 feet

or contact a lower level.– Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum

deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet.– Strength to withstand 2X potential impact of employee

falling 6 ft. or permitted fall distance.

Inspecting Equipment1926.502(d)

• Equipment must be inspected before each use for:– Degradation due to

ultraviolet light– Any other condition

that is not normal

• The following items must be inspected:– Tears or other wear– Deformed eyelets, D

rings or other parts– Labels/placards– Dirt, grease, and oil

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (Harness) 1926.502(d)

• Harness systems consist of either nylon or polyester and the best system will encompass the entire body (full body harness).

• Body belts can not be used for fall protection.• A full body harness will evenly distribute

weight across the waist, pelvis, and thighs.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (Lanyard) 1926.502(d)

• Lanyards connect the harness to the anchorage point.

• Must have a minimum breaking strength of 5000 pounds.

• Should be attached to a D ring between the shoulder blades above the employee.

• There are several types of lanyards that include: synthetic webbing, synthetic rope and shock absorbing.

Types of Lanyards

• Self retracting– Eliminates excess slack in the lanyard (cable, rope, or

web) • Shock absorbing

– Device slows and eventually stops decent and absorbs the forces (i.e.: rip stitch controlled tearing)

• Synthetic rope– Absorbs some of the force by stretching

• Synthetic webbing– Strong but not flexible (absorbs little force)

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (Life Lines) 1926.502(d)

• Life lines consist of flexible material connected at one or both ends to an anchorage point.

• There are two types of life lines:– Vertical: hangs vertically (5000 pound minimum breaking

strength).– Horizontal: connects at both points to stretch horizontally

(serves as connection point for other components of PFAS-total system must have safety factor of two).

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (Snap Hooks)

1926.502(d)• Used to connect lanyards to D rings on a body harness.• D rings must be compatible. Must be connected to

harness or anchorage point only.• Snap hooks must have 5,000 tensile strength and be

proof tested to 3600 pounds.• When using snap hooks:

– Use only one snap hook per D ring to prevent rollout.– All snap hooks must have a locking mechanism.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (Anchorage Points)

1926.502(d)

• The anchorage point is most effective when it is above the employee’s head. Located as to not allow an employee fall more than 6 feet.

• All anchorage points must be a solid immovable object that is capable of supporting 5000 pounds.

• Must not be used to support anything else.

Positioning Device Systems1926.502(e)

• Allows employee to be supported from a vertical surface (i.e.: wall or telephone pole) and use both hands.

• Must be inspected before each use for defects.• Must be rigid for no more than a 2 foot free fall.• Not a fall arrest system! • The anchorage point must be capable of

withstanding twice the fall load impact of 13000 pounds, whichever is greater.

Warning Line System 1926.502(f)

• Rope, wire, or chains are used to warn employees of an unprotected edge.

• Used mainly on roofs , where PFAS- impractical. • Established not less than six feet from the edge.• Materials must have sufficient strength and

complete structure must withstand 16 pound tipping force.

Controlled Access Zones (CAZ)1926.502(g)

• Only qualified personnel involved in the operation are allowed to enter the zone.

• Ropes, wires, or chains are used to designate the area.

• Must be erected not less than six feet nor more than twenty five feet away from edge.

• Shall be connected on each side to wall.

Controlled Access Zones (CAZ)1926.502(g)

• CAZ must be defined by a control line (strength of 200 pounds) erected 10-15 feet from the edge.

• Lines must be flagged at six foot intervals.

Safety Monitoring System1926.502(h)

• Uses a monitor (competent person) to patrol the area and warn employees of the dangers

• All safety monitors must comply with the following criteria:– Be on the same level the work is being performed– Be close enough to orally communicate– Have no other assigned duties

Safety Monitoring System1926.502(h)

• Employees must comply with all instructions from the monitor.

• The full attention of the monitor must focus on protecting the employees.

• It is recommended that you have a written plan for using the safety monitoring system to address:– Identification of the monitor.– Roles of employees in a monitoring system.– Training for using the monitoring system.

Covers 1926.502(i)

• Used to protect personnel from falling through holes in walking surfaces.

• Covers must be secured in place and the word “Hole” must be written on the cover.

• Covers must have sufficient strength to support:– Twice the weight to be imposed upon it for

pedestrians.– Twice the largest axle weight of vehicle traffic.

Falling Objects 1926.502(j)

• Employers are required to protect their employees from falling objects.

• Some methods that might have to be used (when necessary) consist of:– Installation of toe boards (at least 3.5 inches

wide).– Building barricade and restricting entrance – Installation of screens.

Fall Protection Plan 1926.502(k)

• Fall protection plans are allowed for the following operations:– Residential construction– Leading edge construction– Precast concrete erection

• The plan should be strictly enforced.• The employer must demonstrate that it is

impractical to use fall protection before a fall protection plan can be used as an alternative.

Fall Protection Plan 1926.502(k)

• Plan must be developed by qualified person and made specific for each site (also must be up to date).

• Only as qualified person can make changes to a plan.

• A copy of the plan must be maintained at the site.

Elements of a Fall Protection Plan

• Statement of Policy• Fall Protection Systems to be Used• Implementation of Plan• Enforcement• Accident Investigation• Changes to the Plan

Training 1926.503

• 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

Training 1926.503

• Training elements:– Role of employee in a safety monitoring

system (when used)– Limitations on the use of mechanical

equipment for low slope roofs– Role of employees in fall protection plans– Standards contained in 1926.500-503– Procedure for handling and storage of

equipment

Training 1926.503

• Fall protection training must be certified by the employer through a written record.

• The latest training certificate must be maintained.

• Retraining is required when:– There are changes in the work place.– Changes in the type of fall protection used.– There are inadequacies in employee’s skills.