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 1910.6729 CFR 1915.7129 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.

OSHA Top 10: Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes

Floor openings are a broad OSHA standard covering stairwells, ladderways, hatches, skylights, pits, manholes, and other walking or working surfaces that workers can fall into.  In industrial workplaces, floor openings commonly provide multi-level access or access to storage or materials, and are often found when labor or construction is underway.  Consider the Top 10 citations for OSHA safety standard 1910.23 in 2012.

  1. Manufacturing (302 Citations in 2012)
  2. Wholesale Trade (71 Citations)
  3. Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services (61 Citations)
  4. Services (49 Citations)
  5. Mining (38 Citations)
  6. Retail Trade (30 Citations)
  7. Construction (12 Citations)
  8. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (5 Citations)
  9. Public Administration (3 Citations)
  10. Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (2 Citations)

Source: OSHA 2012 Statistics and Data

Safety managers and operations personnel must keep in mind OSHA guidelines including proper railings, floor opening covers, toe boards, manhole guards, and platforms.  Industries with the most frequent violations include manufacturing, transportation/energy, and mining.  The common thread among these industries?  Material storage, operational setting variations, and multi-level access.

Wall Opening Ladder for Material Access
Storage Access
Walkway Across Floor Opening
Floor Opening Walkway
Manhole Guard with Spring Latch
Manhole Guard

 

 

 

 

If your work area provides access to multiple levels for which standard equipment will not safely facilitate, custom solutions may be necessary.  Proper equipment will protect your employees, manage worker’s comp safety risk, and prevent OSHA citations.

Innovative Access Solutions, LLC

For custom access design, Innovative Access Solutions is an experienced and knowledgeable producer of OSHA safe solutions, across industries.  For more information about IAS, visit IAScustom.com or call (800) 388-6884.

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.