How to prevent falls in the workplace

Falls from elevations were the fourth leading cause of workplace death from 1980 through 1994, with an average of 540 deaths per year accounting for 10% of all occupational fatalities. 42% of all construction workers' deaths occur from falling. Falls are a risk found in many work settings. A fall can happen during strolling or ascending a stepping stool to change a light installation, or because of an intricate arrangement of occasions influencing an ironworker 80 feet over the ground.

Falls are a concern for oil and gas workers, many of whom must work high on a derrick. A study of falls over the period 2005–2014 found that in 86% of fatal falls studied, fall protection was required by regulation, but it was not used, was used improperly, or the equipment failed. Many of the fatalities were because, although the workers were wearing harnesses, they neglected to attach them to an anchor point. 

In construction, most fall wounds result due to tumbles off of something over the ground like a stepping stool, framework, scissor lift, or opening with no watchman rail. In construction, 70% of falls are from tallness while 30% are because of slips/stumbles on a similar level. Tumbles from stature are typically considerably more extreme than a fall on a similar level. Numerous tumbles from tallness happen where individual defensive gear wouldn't be ordinarily utilized, for example, falls through an unguarded opening in the floor or platform, a missing guardrail, and tumbles from stepping stools (30% of tumbles from a stature). 

The hierarchy of fall hazard controls incorporates the disposal of fall dangers (evaluation of the working environment and the work measures), counteraction of falls (designing controls), and control of falls (preparing, PPE). Fruitful decrease of fall wounds and fatalities requires reliable endeavors of managers to prepare to take care of business securely, to reliably prepare their representatives on the significance of wearing fall assurance hardware, and to ensure that their gear is OSHA-consistent, very much kept up, and fitting for their particular application.

Types of fall protection

In most work-at-height environments, multiple fall protection measures are used concurrently. 

Fall elimination

Fall elimination is often the preferred way of providing fall protection. This entails finding ways of completing tasks without working at heights. 

Fall prevention

• Fall guarding is the use of guard rails or other barricades to prevent a person from falling. These barricades are placed near an edge where a fall hazard can occur, or to surround a weak surface (such as a skylight on a roof) that may break when stepped on.

• Fall restraint is a class of personal protective equipment to prevent persons who are in a fall hazard area from falling, e.g., fall restraint lanyards. Typically, fall restraint will physically prevent a worker from approaching edges.

Fall arrest

Fall arrest is the form of fall protection that stops a person who has fallen. 

Administrative controls

Administrative controls are used along with other measures, but they do not physically prevent a worker from going over an edge. Examples of administrative controls include placing a safety observer or warning line near an edge, or enforcing a safety policy that trains workers and requires them to adhere to other fall protection measures, or prohibiting any un-restrained worker from approaching an edge.