Know the Standards: OSHA Fall Protection Compliance

Most informed industry professionals are aware that OSHA has emphasized the importance of awareness and compliance to fall protection safety standards that are designed to reduce injury risk and fatalities from falls from heights.  What may be less clear to business owners in both construction and general industry is OSHA’s dedication to proactively prosecute violations to the letter of the law.  Several recent examples of OSHA’s commitment to fall protection injury prevention have shed light on risk areas for small business owners to be aware of.

OSHA Fall Protection Policy Enforcement

In February this year, OSHA drafted and delivered a warning to the communication tower industry of the increasing fatality rate in that industry, it’s relationship to fall protection, and how strictly OSHA will be enforcing fall protection standards as a result.  Another example of OSHA’s firmness on fall protection is in their willingness to prosecute compliance gaps even when a business has taken significant precautions to protect employees.  OSHA attempted to prosecute Ryder Transportation Services for an injury to a subcontractor at their site for a fall fatality through a roof skylight that was safely inaccessible to employees.

OSHA Fall Protection Standards

The most important point for concerned business owners in light of OSHA’s increased emphasis on fall protection compliance is their strictness and strategy for standard enforcement.  OSHA may potentially cite your business not only for injuries resulting from a failure to provide fall protection, but also in cases where the business did not conduct an appropriate hazard assessment, even at seemingly low-risk heights of 4′. This result is effectively a double whammy effect for a single employee fall incident.

As a result, while it’s important to provide proper fall protection, it’s even more critical to conduct and document the proper precautionary procedures for any potential risk area, to save money and administrative battles in the case that a fall injury does occur.  Here’s a brief summary of OSHA’s fall protection standards policy, with this in mind.  Of course, anyone subject to OSHA violations should fully research the topic on their own with OSHA or a certified compliance consultant.

Construction Industry Fall Protection Compliance

Found in Section 1926.501, these can generally be summed up to require businesses to provide fall protection (guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems) on walking or working surfaces with an ‘unprotected side or edge which is six feet or more above the lower‘.

General Industry Fall Protection Compliance

General industry standards are also stringent, with Section 1910.23 stated to include ‘every wall opening from which there is a drop of more than four feet‘, with that also applying to open-side floor or platforms.  This requirement stipulates that risk areas be guarded by a standard railing or other means of fall protection.

And remember, the typical fall protection standards citations could be coupled with a citation for Section 1910.132 for failing to conduct a hazard assessment.

Fall Protect Your Business for Compliance

The application of these OSHA standards and enforcement policy strategies can thus be applied to a variety of settings, ranging from loading docks and flatbed truck beds to onsite or offsite machinery and equipment.  Business owner/operators should be aware that even for fall hazards of 4′ or less, a hazard assessment must be conducted and fall protection compliance equipment provided.

Trucker® & IAS Custom Access Fall Protection Products

Of course, we at Innovative Access Solutions are well-prepared to help with your flatbed truck and loading dock fall protection, starting with safety engineered Trucker trailer access ladders and working platforms.  In addition, IAS has a great deal of experience providing custom fall protection access equipment to machinery/equipment and multi-level walking or working surfaces at manufacturing facilities, dockyards, construction and mining sites, and public/retail settings.

To learn how IAS can design a fall protection access solution for your business, call our engineering team at (800) 388-6884 or submit our Contact form on IAScustom.com.

The Trucker Newsletter: Fleet Friendly Trucker Access

At Safety & Numbers we are building customer interest in The Trucker Series trailer access products, in the form of real genuine online product reviews at IAScustom.com.  You know… like the ones you see on Amazon, only better. We think IAS produces the highest quality and safest trailer ladders available and we’d like you to help us make the web just a little bit more accurate on that topic.

In fact, our newsletter is offering a promotion for those who provide an Online Product Review at IAScustom.com. And yes indeed, we want to pass along that promotional opportunity to you faithful readers as well. Simply provide an email address with your Online Product Review and/or Sign Up for Our Newsletter so we can send along the promotional code.  Thanks in advance!

An Excerpt from the September 2014 IAS Trucker Newsletter….  Sign up Here

In a day and age when impressions are gathered in 140 characters and time is managed down to the minute, versatility and convenience are especially valuable. That’s why many of our customers choose The Trucker® Series. Our ladders are easy and safe for any truck driver or style.

The shining example we have mentioned before. The Trucker is the Safety Best Practice at United Rentals. With over 800 locations, that is no small feat. Still, we’re proud to serve companies across the country and in dozens of industries. We want you to know that this isn’t just brash talk. The Trucker Series ladders have exceeded even our own expectations as we have grown over the years.

Continue reading The Trucker Newsletter: Fleet Friendly Trucker Access

Fortune 500 Contractor Provides Testimonial for Trucker®

IAS produces access ladders for a wide variety of customers across the country. IAS products are safe, durable and convenient for applications ranging from contractor work safety to boat boarding at the lake. This versatility has earned raves from safety minded contractors and mobility challenged individuals alike.

Here are two examples of testimonials for work safety and optimal accessibility.

Fortune 500 Trucker Ladder Testimonial

The Trucker Series Trailer AccessTrucker® ladders are designed for simple and safe access to any truck trailer.  This safety manager at a Fortune 500 construction contractor and long time IAS customer has great things to say about Trucker® trailer access ladders.

I have utilized your products on jobs I have worked on for the past 4 years, once we started using your Trucker and Drop Deck ladders we realized the great benefits and quality the IAS products provided.  Since using your products our yard bosses and operators have asked for them by name.

Any time I show up on a new job, your ladders are one of my first purchases.  Our truck loading and unloading procedures now call for your ladders specifically, they are in such high demand they have to be assigned to crews and locked in the storage box at the end of each shift.  I couldn’t ask for a better product as far as safety, quality and ease of use.  

Thanks for a great product,

Patrick from Georgia 

Very Impressed Tooner Ladder Customer

Tooner Pontoon Boat LaddersThe Tooner I Ladder is designed for safe and convenient access to pontoon boats.  This customer was especially grateful for the accessibility and safety of the stairway ladder design with a rope available to assist with ascending up and out of the water.

I hope that you had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Just so you know, we are very impressed with the ladder and it’s quality. I had a skydiving accident 5 years ago, and injured my spinal cord. I have limited mobility, and this ladder now allows me to go into the water and enjoy the lake with everyone else. Seems like a small thing, but it’s HUGE to me.
 
Again, Thank you
 
Craig from Florida

View our Work Platform at the AGC Safety Day Conference

Innovative Access Solutions produces a work platform for flatbed trucks that is lightweight and portable for mobile truck fleets. Visit the AGC Safety Day Conference on September 26, 2014 in Louisville, KY to gather information about this innovative truck trailer fall protection platform system.

About the AGC Safety Day Conference

AGC is a leading commercial construction association which serves to monitor, shape, and influence legislative and regulatory issues that impact the construction industry and related safety issues. AGC provides trade-specific training, OSHA courses, and jobsite safety evaluations to help reduce and prevent construction site injuries.

AGC Safety Day Conference

To register for the AGC Safety Day Conference, visit the AGC of Kentucky website.

More About the Work Platform

The IAS work platform is an innovative approach to fall protection for flatbed trailers. The platform is composed of lightweight aluminum and easily mountable via CNC billet mounting hooks. Platforms are durable (ANSI rated to 3 man / 3,000 lbs) and equipped with a safety rail that is removable for convenient stow away and mobility. The IAS work platform is standard at 4′ and 8′ and customizable to meet specs.

4′ Work Platform

Mounted Work Platform

 8′ Work Platform

8 foot work platform

Custom Work Platform

Custom Work Platform

Comparing Flatbed Access Platforms for Fall Protection

Safety & Numbers blog sponsor Innovative Access Solutions, LLC produces portable flatbed truck access platforms for fall protection safety. The IAS platform is a new and innovative approach compared to other available flatbed fall protection options. With this in mind we are happy to help promote and review the advantages of a lightweight, portable platform as compared to bulky traditional wheeled systems.
Flatbed Access Platform Mounted to Truck Trailer

Advantages of a Portable Flatbed Access Platform

As mentioned above, the IAS flatbed access platform is an innovative approach to fall protection for loading/unloading, tarping, and maneuvering around flatbed trailers. The platform is composed of lightweight aluminum and equipped with CNC billet mounting hooks, making it ideal for fall protection at offsite locations, on stationary trailers, and where space is limited or time is of the essence.  The IAS flatbed access platform is ANSI rated to 3 man / 3,000 lbs making it versatile and durable.  IAS platforms also provide a safety rail that is easily removable for convenient stow away and mobility.  The IAS flatbed access platform is standard at lengths of 4′ and 8′ and can be customized to meet specialized requirements.

Compared to Traditional Flatbed Platform Systems

The majority of available flatbed access platform systems are wheeled or rolling platforms. These systems are ideal in certain applications. Truck fleets with high shipping volume, available space at their facility, and a sizable work force will appreciate the traditional wheeled flatbed access platform system. These systems typically provide space for a truck trailer to pull in between two parallel platforms which sandwich together on each side of the trailer deck. Traditional systems are generally expensive and less flexible.

Choosing the Best Fall Protection Option

When deciding on the best fall protection flatbed access platform for your company’s needs, we recommend considering available capital/workforce, the importance of mobility, and whether a bulky wheeled system will suit your needs.  The IAS flatbed access platform is mobile and portable, preventing the need to have a system consuming space at each site.  Being lightweight and modular, it is also easier to mount at any location and with fewer available workers. And the IAS flatbed access platform is ideal for specialized applications such as stationary flatbed trailers, contractor truck fleets, and industries including construction, mining and energy.

Choose the 4′ Work Platform with Safety Rail or 8′ Work Platform with Safety Rail

Whichever flatbed access platform you choose, always remember the importance of fall protection risk management even at limited heights. Investing in basic fall protection safety equipment such as a flatbed trailer work platform will ultimately save money and hardship in the long run when compared to workers comp claims, lost worker time, and indirect work injury costs.

Combine Summer Safety & Fun with Residential Marine Access

We have highlighted several products that help to prevent injuries in marine, transportation, manufacturing, construction, and other industrial settings. While we are all relishing in the summer sun and fun, we would like to present for your enjoyment a selection of safe recreational and residential marine access products.  IAS® produces Tooner boat ladders and dock access products for people and pets, and has designed access products and seating for residential pools, steam rooms, docks, decks and more.

Marine Recreation Access

IAS® is the producer of Tooner pontoon boat ladders, Docker dock ladders, and the Dog Step dock ladder. Each of these marine access products are designed with safety features including slip resistant tread, handrails for 3 points of contact, ergonomical staircase steps and a durable build.

Marine Recreational Access LadderMarine Recreation Access Ladder for DockLengths, specifications and other details for Tooner, Docker and Dog Step Ladders available online at the IAS® Marine Series web store.

Aluminum Benches

IAS® provides all weather aluminum benches that are ideal for docks, gardens, public areas, and more. Lightweight aluminum benches prevent splinters, can be mounted to any surface and powder coated to match a color scheme.  Benches come standard at 4′ or 6′ and are available up to 12′ with available handrails, colors and other options.

Aluminum Dock BenchAluminum Bench in Public Area

Additional details about benches available at the IAS® online store.

Custom Residential Access

IAS® has produced custom pool ladders and access products for residential settings.  Potential custom products include pivoting ladders with handrails in various sizes, colors and mounting options, seating for steam rooms or walk-in showers, stairs for deck or porch access, and to meet specialty specifications and requirements.

Residential Pool Marine Access Ladder

Residential Steam Shower Seat

For information about recreational and residential marine access products, contact IAS® at (800) 388-6884  or visit the contact page at IAScustom.com.

Have a safe and fun summer at the lake, pool, ocean, or watering hole nearest you!