Fall Protection in the Workplace

Preventing falls at the workplace is essential when it comes to employee safety. In addition to finding the right workers’ compensation coverage, it is equally important to have a fall protection safety plan in place and to understand how to implement it within the workplace. 

Fortunately, over the years, injuries and fatalities in the workplace have decreased substantially. However, there are many workplace injuries and fatalities that continue to occur every day. Approximately 36.5% of all deaths in the workplace occurred due to employees falling – making it one of the leading causes of death for employees. Incorporating a fall protection plan for your operations can help protect your business and employees by reducing the fall hazards as well as reducing the risk of falls during work.  

OSHA has created Construction Standards for Fall Protection, which states that employers must provide fall protection if employees are required to work in the situations and conditions outlined in the standards, including those who work on scaffolds, cranes and derricks, perform steel erection work, and those who work from aerial lifts, poles, towers, ladders, and stairways. 

Include a Fall Protection Plan in Your Safety Program 

In order to properly follow these protocols a business must first develop a fall protection safety plan. Your plan should clearly lay out procedures such as training and inspections to take place at certain times of the year. Make sure your fall protection plan is an essential component of your workplace safety program. Many successful programs contain the following elements: 

• Education and fall prevention training for employees 
• Commitment from management to workplace safety  
• Accountability of employees and supervisors for following workplace safety practices 
• Investigation of any fall-related injuries or near-miss accidents with recordkeeping of these events for educational and prevention purposes 
• Regular inspection of the fall protection equipment, replacing worn or broken equipment as needed 
• Regular evaluation of the plan to identify how well it’s performing and if any updates are needed 

Protect Your Employees with Proper Equipment  

Employers must provide their employees with the proper equipment and fall prevention measures in order to avoid fall-related injuries. This might include items such as: 

• Body harnesses
• Guardrail systems
• Personal fall arrest systems
• Safety net systems
• Lanyards/Lifelines
  

*Source: AMTrust, Workplace Fall Protection Safety Tips, https://amtrustfinancial.com/blog/loss-control/fall-protection-prevention-safety-tips-training. The AmTrust Loss Control Department specializes in risk management solutions to prevent injuries and improve employee safety.