Each year more than 100,000 injuries and deaths are attributable to work-related falls. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics falls are one of the leading causes of occupational death. An OSHA study involving 99 fall-related fatalities suggests that all of the deaths could have been prevented by the use of fall protection. Fall protection can be in the form of guardrails, personal fall arrest systems, safety monitoring by a competent person, safety net systems, positioning device systems, hole covers or warning line systems.

An employee must be protected from falling when working on a surface that has an unprotected side or edge, which is 6 feet or more above an adjacent lower level, or when working from bucket trucks or other personnel lifts with articulating booms. In each of these cases, the fall hazards must be evaluated to determine the preferable method to protect the employee.

The Environmental Health and Safety Office can provide consultation on what type and how to use a fall protection system for a particular fall hazard situation. We can also provide safety training on the proper use of a fall protection system and OSHA’s fall protection requirements.