LESSONS LEARNED
Falls are a hazard found in many work settings. A fall can occur during walking or climbing a ladder to change a light fixture, or as a result of a complex series of events affecting an iron worker 80 feet above the ground.
According to recent fatal injury statistics (BLS.gov), there are more than 600 fatal falls annually. Many workers may be surprised to hear that about 2 out of every 3 falls are from less than 20 feet high. Workers should be very aware of their work at any height.
Particularly at risk of fall injuries are those working in:
OSHA Standard 1926.501(b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling...
On a winter day, a roofer/foreman died after falling from a telescopic boom lift. He and four other roofing crew members were installing a new roof at a residence undergoing restoration. At the time of the incident, the foreman was not wearing a personal fall arrest system and was not tied off. The death certificate states the cause of death was due to atlanto-occipital dissociation due to blunt force trauma to the head due to a fall from a height.
Lessons Learned from this incident include:
Weeklysafety.com is giving away 10 free safety topics, no credit card required! Take advantage and grab your free set of safety meeting topics today by clicking the button below.
A membership to Weeklysafety.com comes at a very low price that never goes up no matter how many employees you have and no matter how many awesome safety topics you use. Included in your membership are hundreds of safety topics that you can use for your safety meetings, toolbox talks and safety moments.
Take a look at our website to learn more about everything that comes with a Weeklysafety.com membership. Click below to learn more today!
Download this free report today and get inspired to improve your workplace safety program!