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Fall Protection: Safe Work Plans and Procedures

When fall hazards at your worksite cannot be eliminated, they must be controlled. When a hazard exists that cannot be eliminated entirely, you must have a hazard assessment completed and create a written Fall Protection Plan.

What is in a Fall Protection Plan?

Fall Protection Plans include a lot of important information, which is needed to keep workers safe while on site.

What are the 4 methods of controlling risks?

There is a hierarchy of controls when looking at risk management. Your employer is responsible for selecting and applying the best hazard controls for each worksite and for each hazard. There are 4 types of hazard controls.

  1. Elimination: Eliminating a hazard is the most effective way of risk management, and can be achieved by making controls, lighting, valves or other needed locations accessible on the ground.
  2. Engineering Controls: These controls are some of the most common when on-site as they can be installed on-site and eliminate risks entirely. Some engineered controls are guardrails, protective covers, and other physical barriers.
  3. Administrative controls: Administrative controls are used alongside other types of controls to provide awareness to a hazard, and can include signs, warning tapes, and safe work plans.
  4. Personal Protective Equipment: PPE does not prevent you from falling, but provides you the ability to reduce the severity of a potential injury. It is a necessary part of a safety plan to outline the needed PPE, and ensure all equipment is in proper working order.

Onsite Rescue Operations.

When there is a fall on-site, you need to work as quickly as possible to eliminate any further trauma. There are a few steps that should always be included in your plan like calling 911 immediately, and either removing the person from the situation or relieving pressure from the harness. There are 4 main ways you can assist a fallen person.

  1. Relieve pressure: a person suspended in a harness after a fall is under a lot of pressure, so having a relief strap or rope lowered for them is a good idea. The rope or strap will give them the ability to stand up while still over a ledge.
  2. Access a Lift: Accessing something like a scissor-lift or skyjack to retrieve a fallen worker is a good plan to eliminate any further trauma they may experience from hanging.
  3. Ladder Access: Having a ladder that can reach a fallen worker is a very basic method of rescuing a fallen worker, make sure to follow proper ladder safety to ensure no further accidents happen.
  4. Self Retracting Lanyard: These lanyards feature a ratcheting handle, which will allow someone to lower or raise the fallen worker.Fa

 

 

For a Fall Protection Plan Outline Click Here: Fall Protection Plan

For an Online Fall Protection Course Click Here

For Harnesses Click Here

For Lanyards Click Here

For Suspension Straps Click Here

For Working at Heights Training Locations and Dates Click Here

 

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