Fall Protection Equipment & Prevention in the Construction Industry
Countless companies rely on Webb-Rite Safety for our advanced fall protection equipment, systems, and extensive training services. Since our founding in 1999, our organization has passionately served the construction industry along with businesses that focused on agriculture, manufacturing, and more.
What Are the OSHA Regulations for Fall Protection in the Construction Industry?
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), falls are the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths for men and women in the construction industry. A study conducted by the administration in 2018 revealed that falls were the leading cause of death for construction workers. Over 300 people died that same year due to accidental falls, which sadly could have been prevented.
Due to the nature of their job, people who work in the construction industry are more likely to fall down because they are outside and exposed to the elements while working on unfinished roads, buildings and other large projects. They can easily fall off a ladder or into a pothole if they don’t have the right safety equipment or adhere to certain protocols.
Although the construction industry will never be completely risk free, OSHA does require employers to make the work environment as safe as possible to prevent unnecessary accidents. They created the Fall Prevention Campaign to raise awareness among construction workers about how they can prevent this dangerous safety hazard from occurring.
Employers must supply construction workers with the proper fall protection equipment and systems. They must also train every employee beforehand so they can understand how to use their tools and safely navigate the job site. OSHA can also supply companies with additional training materials and resources.
The official OSHA Regulations for Fall Protection in the Construction Industry includes several guidelines that can prevent employees from being injured due to falls. For example, workers may need harnesses, guide railings and safety nets for certain jobs. Dangerous environments like uneven platforms could require toe-boards, while workers must use floor hole covers to protect people from an accident.
Below is a summary of several well established Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations for the construction industry:
Employees must be protected by a guardrail, personal fall arrest system, or safety net if they are working on a residential construction project that is 6 feet tall or higher. The only exception is when their employer can prove that the safety measures would make the work area more unsafe or if it is just not possible.
Employees must use the previously mentioned safety equipment when they are working near unprotected sides and edges that are 6 feet tall or higher.
For roofing work that involves unprotected sides and edges 6 feet or more, workers can either use the typical safety equipment or a combination of a warning line system and a safety net system, personal fall arrest system, or a safety monitoring system.
Employees must use guardrail systems with toeboards and other safety systems when on a steep roof above 6 feet tall with unprotected sides and edges.
Employees must use a hole cover, guardrails, or fall arrest systems to protect them from falling through holes more than 6 feet above the ground.
Fall Protection Equipment and Systems for the Construction Industry
Webb-Rite Safety is committed to providing quality guardrails, fall arresters, and harnesses for the construction industry. We produce a line of guardrails and work platforms that are fully compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Our full line of advanced fall protection systems, which are designed to keep workers safe when they’re on elevated ground, include the following range of products: anchorage points, harnesses, connectors, deceleration devices and lanyards, as well as horizontal and vertical lifelines.
Webb-Rite Safety can easily customize our products to suit any project on a construction site. As one of the leading producers of permanent fall protection, our team would be happy to develop a tailored fall protection system for your business.
Contact us today to learn more about our customized fall protection systems and equipment for construction workers. We also provide equipment rentals, maintenance and repair services along with one-on-one and classroom training on how to properly use all of our safety equipment. Please browse our products and view our training courses to discover the latest OSHA regulations.