De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

College of Engineering, Architecture and

Safety Management
MEET428

Fall Protection

Group# 4
Obena, Michael
Sibayan, Ruben Jr
Soriano, Josephus Miko

Professor
Engr. Alfredo G. Hicaro
Fall Hazards
These presentation focus on the Big Four Construction Hazards – falls,
electrical, caught-in and struck-by.
o All training materials will cover the four hazards seen regularly on
construction sites and will focus on the methods for the recognition
and the prevention of these common hazards.
• Falls are one of the greatest hazards on construction sites.
• This program will help you recognize common fall hazards.
• The symbols will tell you if the situation in the picture is either safe or not
safe.

Each year workers die from falls. During the year 2006:
o Total deaths from falls: 809
o 39 more deaths from falls than in 2005
o Deaths in construction: 428
o More than 50% of deaths from falls are in construction.
o Approximately 14% of all occupational deaths are falls.
Fall hazards can be found on every construction site:
o Building structures
o Exterior construction areas
o Scaffolds
o Stairs
o Ladders

Building Structures
 Work conditions 6’ or more above lower level require the use of fall
protection:
• Unprotected sides,
 edges
• Leading edges
• Excavations
• Walking/working
surfaces
 Regardless of height, fall protection must be used when working above:
• Dangerous equipment
• Sharp objects
• Piercing objects
 When working at a height of 6’ above the lower level you must use fall
protection:
• Personal fall arrest systems
• Guardrail systems
 Guardrail systems must be maintained when working 6’ above lower level,
or when working above dangerous equipment and sharp objects.
 Damaged or missing guardrails must be fixed immediately.
 When materials can be kicked off or pushed out and fall on any worker
below, toe boards, screens and/or netting must be used.

Exterior Construction Areas

Scaffolds
 Scaffolds are elevated, temporary work platforms:
• Supported scaffold
• Guardrail Systems
• Access ladders
 • Powered work
platforms
• The role of the competent person during erection
 Scaffold bases must rest on a base plate and a mud sill.
 The base plate is designed to level and support the scaffold.
 When working on scaffolds 6’ above lower level, guardrail systems must
be installed.
 Never stack blocks, bricks, or use ladders on top of scaffolds for extra
height.
 Workers must have a safe way to access the scaffold.
 Never use blocks, bricks, walk boards, and other unsafe methods to
access a scaffold.
 Use only ladders designed for use with scaffolds.
 The ladder must be firmly secured to the scaffold.
Powered Work Platforms
 Powered platforms include:
• man-baskets placed on a forklift,
• aerial lifts, and
• scissor lifts.
 Always make sure you have proper fall protection and training before
using a powered platform.
 Only use equipment that is designed for lifting personnel and suitable for
the assigned task.
Stairs
 Stairs that have walls on both sides must have at least one hand rail on the
right-hand side when climbing down.
 Never use stairs that are not complete or unsafe
 Ladders must be inspected prior to use.
 Ladders must be kept in a good condition and safe location.
  Do not stand on the top of a ladder.
 Always maintain good footing on a step ladder.
 Use the correct size ladder for the work that is to be done
 Only use ladders on stable and level surfaces to prevent accidental
movement.
 Maintain contact with the ladder using both hands to keep a safe grip.
 Face ladder when going up or down.
 Never climb a ladder while carrying any materials.

Fall Protection
A series of reasonable steps taken to cause elimination or control of the injurious
effects of an unintentional fall while accessing or working at height
 Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry.
 An average of 362 fatal falls occurred each year from 1995 to 1999, with
the trend on the increase.
 The cost of care for injuries related to falls is a financial burden for the
entire construction industry
 It takes most people about 1/3 of a second to become aware.
 It takes another 1/3 of a second for the body to react.
 A body can fall up to 7 feet in 2/3 of a second.
Planning for Fall Protection
 Best practice dictates that fall protection becomes an integral part of the
work planning process, from constructability, to systems installation, to use
and maintenance
 The workplace cannot be truly safe unless fall protection is incorporated
into every phase of the process
 Planning will keep workers safe and minimize fall exposures
Controlling Fall Exposures
 General industry regulations
• Every open-sided floor, platform, wall opening, or hole 4 feet or
more above adjacent floor or ground level shall be guarded by a
standard railing, or the equivalent, on all open sides except where
there is entrance to a ramp, stairway, or fixed ladder.
 Construction industry regulations
• Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and
vertical surface) with an unprotected side, edge, or hole which is 6
feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level shall be protected from
falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or
personal fall arrest systems.
Using Fall Protection Systems
 Select fall protection systems appropriate for given situations.
 Use proper construction and installation of safety systems.
 Supervise employees properly.
 Use safe work procedures.
 Train workers in the proper selection, use, and maintenance of fall
protection systems.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of all steps
Fall Protection Methods
 Fall Prevention- A system that will prevent a person from falling to a lower
level.
 Work Positioning or Fall Restraint- A system that will allow the worker to
approach a fall hazard and work but will not allow the worker to fall to a
lower level.
 Fall Arrest- A system that will protect a person from crashing on to a lower
level after a fall.
Personal Fall Arrest Systems
Should only be used when other fall prevention means cannot be used or are
not feasible. Used to protect an employee from hitting a lower level once they
have fallen.
 Components include:
 An anchorage points
 Body harness
 Deceleration devices
 Connectors – lanyards, rope grabs, anchorage connectors
 When using personal fall arrest systems:
 If you fall, the impact force to the body has to be less than 1800
pounds, achieved by using shock absorbing lanyards and a harness
 Minimize fall distance, the maximum free fall distance can only be 6
feet
 There cannot be any structures below in you fall distance
 Maximum weight of an individual w/tools is 310 pounds
Fall Distances
 Free Fall Distance
• The vertical displacement of the fall arrest attachment point on the
employee's harness between onset of the fall and just before the
system begins to apply force to arrest the fall.
 Deceleration Distance
• The distance between the location of an body harness attachment
point at the moment of activation of the deceleration device
during a fall, and the location of that attachment point after the
employee comes to a full stop.
Anchorages
 Fall arrest anchor points must support 5000 lbs per employee attached
 Fall restraint anchor points must support at least 1000 lbs per employee
attached
  Ask your supervisor, Senior Safety Officer, or the ESH–Section safety
representatives if you need assistance in determining an adequate
anchorage point
Body Harness
 Need to be inspected before use by the worker, and at least annually
(documented) by a Competent Person
 Harnesses should never be modified
 Do not write on or paint harnesses unless material is approved for use
 Should be taken out of service immediately if defective or exposed to an
impact
Deceleration Devices
Any mechanism with a maximum length of 3.5 feet, such as a rope grab, rip
stitch lanyard, tearing or deforming lanyards, self-retracting lifelines, etc. which
serves to dissipate a substantial amount of energy during a fall arrest, or
otherwise limit the energy imposed on an employee during fall arrest.
Lanyards
 A flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap which generally has a connector
at each end for connecting the body belt or body harness to a
deceleration device, lifeline or anchorage.
 Must not be tied back to themselves unless specifically designed for such
use
 Should have the appropriate clip for the intended anchorage points
 Do not knot or wrap around sharp objects
Retractable Lifelines
 Deceleration devices containing a drum-wound line which can be slowly
extracted from, or retracted onto, the drum under slight tension during
normal employee movement, and which, after onset of a fall,
automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall.
 Do not use with energy absorbing lanyards.
Restraint Devices
 Provide access but prevent the fall
 Limit anchorage requirement to 1000 lbs
  May be more suitable for loading areas, scaffold erection and dismantling
 Should be installed and used under the supervision of a Competent
Person
Planning For A Rescue!!
 Whenever working with the potential of hanging by a harness, a rescue
plan must be in effect.
 A written Hazard Analysis must be done and employees must be trained
on the plan.
 The rescue plan must be written in the hazard analysis
 The goal is to rescue the employee as soon as possible and limit the
hanging time to no more than fifteen minutes.
 Plan for a worker that is unconscious.
 Ensure all the rescue equipment in the vicinity
 Call emergency hotline whenever someone has been in a fall arrest
situation