FALLS

Falls are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace, and in the home.

Employers strive to prioritize ensuring employees are protected while working at heights.

Fall Prevention Through Plan, Provide, and Train

OSHA uses a “plan, provide, and train” model in their fall prevention campaign that is a straightforward way to prevent falls in the workplace.

Plan– Plan work tasks ahead of time. Planning work tasks is especially important for high-hazard tasks such as working at heights. First look at eliminating any work at heights if possible. If elimination is not possible then plan what you will need for performing the work at heights.

Plan out what equipment, tools, personnel, and materials you will need. After looking at these items, look at what safety equipment, PPE, and training will be needed to safely complete the task.

Provide- Provide all necessary safety equipment and PPE when the work height exceeds six feet and engineering controls such as guardrails are not in place. Outside of equipment and PPE, provide the employees with the proper amount of time it takes to set up the job as well complete the work.

Train- Properly train employees to not only know how to use the safety equipment that is provided but also in hazard recognition. It is important that the employees are able to recognize hazards and understand how to properly address them before starting or continuing work.

Train employees to first think about how to eliminate dangerous work tasks or the hazards that accompany working at heights.

Compliance to standards should only be the start of working at heights safely. Following a well-thought-out plan, providing all the necessary resources, and training employees can help to prevent injuries due to falls.