Fall Protection Safety - The Safety & Numbers Blog, presented by IAS

OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign: Ladders

In previous posts, we have discussed the importance of Fall Prevention and the national focus on providing training, guides, and resources in support of this fall protection safety risk management. Falls are the leading cause of death in construction and a frequent safety issue in many other industries. Even falls at minimal height can result in broken bones, lost worker time, and worker’s comp injury claims. Nearly a third of fall fatalities in construction are falls from ladders.

Recently OSHA has produced several resources to provide guidance to safety managers with respect to ladders. Specific guidelines include:

Use the right ladder for the job
When using a ladder to access another level, secure and extend the ladder at least 3 feet above the landing point
Wear proper footwear
Place the ladder on stable and level ground
Ensure that the ladder is fully extended before accessing
Prevent passersby from walking under or near ladders while in use
Do not work on the top rung of the ladder
Maintain three points of contact at all times
Do not carry tools or materials while using a ladder
Do not lean on the ladder while working and keep your weight centered
Do not use ladders near accessible doorways
Check, maintain and safely store ladders
Do not use faulty ladders: bent, missing a step, or unable to be locked open

In addition, the California Department of Industrial Relations provides additional resources for specific ladder requirements, including design and construction (complete with ANSI regulations); ladder types and proper ladder selection; care, use, and maintenance; and employee training.

ANSI: Follow the Proper Guidelines

The number of variations between ladder designs, applications, and composition is nearly as unique as the people that use them. It can be difficult to determine the applicable ANSI standard and rating that applies to each ladder at a workplace. As an example, the ANSI category for portable metal ladders (ANSI-ASC A14.2-2007) covers a wide range of ladders, and excludes others that may seem to fit the category:

Ladder styles include ladder type step stools, portable extension, step, trestle, sectional, combination, single, platform, and articulating ladders, but excluding ladders in and on mines, the fire services, mobile equipment, hoisting equipment, work platforms, antenna communications towers, transmission towers, utility poles, and chimneys. It does not cover special-purpose ladders that do not meet the general requirements of this standard, nor does it cover ladder accessories, including, but not limited to, ladder levelers, ladder stabilizers or stand-off devices, ladder jacks, or ladder straps or hooks, that may be installed on or used in conjunction with ladders.

The importance of being informed to prevent falls from ladders and conform to trending OSHA regulations is clear. For details about requirements for your workplace access equipment, visit the ANSI website or contact a safety professional.

Preventing Falls in Construction

Falls in construction are a well known cause of work injury. A common misconception is that fall injuries are primarily of concern to individuals that work at heights. This is not an accurate representation of the danger presented by slips, trips, and falls, even at minimal height. In heavy and highway construction, also known as horizontal construction, falls account for approximately 25% of workers compensation claims. These consist of falls from trucks, trailers, and construction equipment (45%); ladders, stairs, and scaffolding (20%); and walking or working surfaces (5%). Fortunately, a recent national focus on fall prevention has raised awareness of the issue and improved the quality of resources available to safety professionals. Resources are published daily at sites like OSHA’s Stop Falls Initiative, CDC’s Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction, and StopConstructionFalls.com in support of this important work safety trend.

Source: Tennessee Road Builder Magazine

Falls from Trucks, Trailers, & Equipment

As a leading cause of injury in the workplace, the risk of falls from trucks, trailers, and equipment is an important hazard for which to mitigate risk. Communicating the need to maintain three points of contact, wear proper footwear, and clean debris from ladders and steps is a good first step. For many types of equipment, upgrading to access ladders that provide three points of contact and durable weight support can provide additional injury risk management. United Rentals is one example of a company that has provided a Safety Best Practice document recommending all employees at their 800+ locations upgrade to the Trucker portable side truck mount ladder. The Trucker ladder provides 3 points of contact, ANSI rated weight support, and slip resistant tread in a sturdy, lightweight design.

Indirect Costs from Fall Injuries

It is important to remember the indirect costs of work injuries when considering falls from minimal heights. It is easy to take for granted the risk of a fall from a 4′ flatbed trailer, particularly under the stress of work timelines. Nevertheless, while these may not always be a fatality risk, the consequences of a work injury extends far beyond broken bones and injury claims. Individuals can suffer long term complications that affect their ability to work and your company’s ability to excel. Even when injuries are minor, your company’s workers’ comp EMR (Experience Modifier Rate) is affected, causing insurance rates to go up and potentially limiting your ability to win valuable contracts. Clearly, the national focus on construction fall protection is a worthy cause for the sake of workers and the industries that employ them.

SHARP Program Emphasizes Work Injury Prevention in the Trucking Industry

In Washington and across the country, the SHARP program is helping to bring awareness to trucking industry work injury risks, via the TIRES (Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis) initiative. SHARP (Safety & Health Assessment and Research for Prevention) is an established Washington State Department of Labor & Industries program focused on research and response to occupational safety and health issues across industries and disciplines.

With additional support from NIOSH, the TIRES program maintains a website and social media presence, provides training materials and reports, and conducts interviews and surveys with members of management and labor teams in industry.

The goal of the TIRES project is to reduce the incidence of:

Non-traumatic musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back and upper extremity.

Slips, trips and falls.

Injuries from getting struck by or against an object.

These conditions comprise 71% of the industry’s workers’ compensation claims, costs and lost workdays.

The trucking work injury prevention resources available at the TIRES website is a smorgasbord for safety professionals and industry members across the country. The Washington Department of Labor & Industries also conveniently ties together reports and publications in an encyclopedia-like layout that provides everything you need to develop safety programs, research risk areas, and gather case studies for reporting.

To stay up to date, follow @TruckSafe on Twitter or visit the TIRES blog. And as always, upgrade your trucking fall protection with a trucker ladder or flatbed work platform from Innovative Access Solutions.

OSHA Top Five: Industrial Truck Citations by Industry

Powered industrial trucks are common across industries for transporting, storing, and staging materials, as well as many other practical uses. Considering the wide range of applications and utility for trucks and trailers, it is not surprising that they are commonly cited for OSHA safety citations. The sheer size and power of the truck combined with the variety of transported materials are the focus of regulations for OSHA standard 1910.178.

The Top Five industries cited for Powered Industrial Truck violations sheds light on the importance of truck safety risk management in the workplace.

Manufacturing (665 Citations)
Wholesale Trade (165)
Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services (145)
Construction (105)
Retail Trade (70)

Powered Truck Safety in Industry

OSHA has structured Industry Standard 1910.178 to ensure businesses focus on operating properly equipped trucks, consider the safety factors of transported materials and operating environments, and generally to protect against the power and size of industrial truck equipment. Fire hazards, chemical considerations, and proper labeling are the focus of the standard.

Trucks are common in many industries, particularly those with material transport needs and at construction job sites. Not surprisingly, each of the top 5 industries cited regularly conduct these activities. The standard does not apply to “compressed air or nonflammable compressed gas-operated industrial trucks, nor to farm vehicles, nor to vehicles intended primarily for earth moving or over-the-road hauling.”

Fall Protection for Truck Trailers

In addition to standards related to Powered Industrial Trucks, truck trailers provide safety risks to consider when loading, unloading, staging, and performing related work requirements. Providing safe access to trailers as well as an adequate work area for loading dock employees is a vital element to complete trucking protection. Trailer access products such as Trucker safety ladders and portable work platforms will trucking fall protection on the road, loading dock, and job site.

Slip & Fall Injuries in Truck Transportation [Infographic]

The National Bureau of Labor’s 2011 Census of Occupational Injuries brought to light a theme that occupational safety management professionals have observed for years: Slips & Falls are a leading cause of occupational injuries. Combined with Roadway Incidents, the two categories make up over a third of all fatal occupational injuries. Trucking, Transportation & Warehousing is the industry sector with the most fatal work injuries and a Top 3 work injury rate. Safety professionals in these industries should consider leading fall protection risk areas and consider mitigation tactics for each.

Sounds easy, right? Have a look at our premier infographic ‘Slips & Falls in Trucking’ to see this concept illustrated for painless consumption.

Protect Workers from Falls for Risk Management ROI

Fall protection is a topic that small business owners often overlook. It may seem taxing to invest in equipment that provides safety features such as three points of contact, slip resistant flooring, and safety guardrails, but a reassuring way to look at it is as an ROI investment. The potential for employees to fall and injure themselves, particularly at heights greater than 4′, is a significant cost management risk which can be mitigated at marginal investment cost. Consider the following risk factors associated with failing to protect your employees from injuries resulting from falls.

Workers Comp Claims: The cost of broken bones is one of the most expensive worker’s compensation claims.
Insurance Premium Rates: When an employee is injured at work, Workers Comp premium rates may increase as your claim risk factor is increased.
Lost Time: In addition to monetary costs associated with injuries and insurance claims, lost time while an employee recovers may lead to staff shortages.

Build Culture: Safe Workers Work Harder

Another factor to consider is employee morale. Small businesses must function as a well-oiled machine to meet the demands of a growing customer base. Even the slightest hit to morale resulting from an injured co-worker can affect performance, quality and timelines. Research has shown that a safe working environment supports optimum productivity and employee satisfaction. Taking steps to protect employees that work at heights will provide risk management benefit and support your goal of attaining high productivity.