Essentials of Safety: Fall Protection

Safety is always at the forefront of our minds at Hoosier Crane and because of that we have been exploring the essentials of safety in our industry on the blog.

Today we want to talk about fall protection.  Do you know the ABCDs of fall protection and why fall protection is important?  Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths. Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.  Protecting employees and creating a safe work environment for them is of the utmost importance.

If you're an employer, you must do the following to reduce falls in your facility:

• Guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover)
• Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway
• Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat of acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured
• Other means of fall protection that may be required on certain jobs include safety harness and line, safety nets, stair railings and hand rails

• Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers
• Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition
• Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers
• Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand