Background:
Falling from heights continues to be a leading cause of fatal accidents in the workplace, particularly within the construction industry. Global statistics indicate that hundreds of individuals lose their lives each year due to falls from heights.
What are the common Hazards of Working at Height?
- Personnel falling from height
- Dropping tools or materials from height
What are the common Causes of Falling from Height?
- Lack of poor edge protection,
- Unsafe/ incomplete working platform,
- Unguarded working platform,
- Unsafe access/ egress,
- Unsafe working at height equipment,
- Unprotected voids or openings,
- Fragile surfaces,
- Unsecured tools and objects,
- Poorly stored equipment, etc.
What measures can be taken to prevent falls from heights in the workplace?
The initial step should be thorough planning and assessment. All working at height activities must be planned in advance and a risk assessment should be conducted by competent personnel.
- Eliminate the need for working at height whenever possible,
- Provide a suitable and safe working platform,
- Ensure edge protection in exposed areas,
- Provide safe access to higher levels,
- Use certified equipment for working at height, such as MEWPs and cradles.
- Secure and guard floor openings or voids with warning signs,
- Tether hand tools when working at elevated areas,
- Store materials away from edges,
- Identify and use appropriate fall protection methods,
- Organize training on safe working at height for all involved operatives, etc.
What are the different Types of Fall Protection Systems?
Fall protection systems are essential for ensuring safety when working at heights. Fall protection systems are basically categorized into two types such as Fall Arrest and Fall Restraint Systems.
A fall arrest system helps to stop a fall if a person falls from a height, while a fall restraint system prevents the risk of falling by restricting the person’s movement within a safe zone.
Fall Arrest Systems:
These systems are designed to stop a fall that has already occurred. They typically include components like harnesses, lanyards, and anchor points that work together to arrest the fall and minimize injury.
Fall Restraint Systems:
These systems prevent falls from happening in the first place by restricting the worker’s movement within a safe area. It also includes the use of harnesses and lifelines which are designed and measured to keep the worker from reaching a fall hazard.
Example of Fall Arrest
Example of Fall Restraint
Which Fall Protection System is Better?
Clearly, the fall restraint system is superior as it prevents the risk of falling from heights when it is effectively designed and utilized.
However, the fall restraint system is not feasible in every working at height activity such as while working on a suspended working platform like cradle.
- Do you know why the Fall Restraint System is better than the Fall Arrest System?
- Do your own assessment and refer to the drawbacks listed below!
Drawbacks of Fall Arrest System:
- It does not prevent the risk of falling,
- It only arrests the fall if a person falls, leading to several consequences:
- Hitting any object below,
- Impact of the fall, such as dislocation of body parts,
- Arrangements for rescuing the suspended person,
- Limited time for rescuing the suspended person, as being suspended in the air for a longer period may cause suspension trauma,
- Potential failure if not designed and calculated for the load and force applied,
- Other consequences or failures if it is not properly worn and anchored,
- Post-incident trauma to the victim after a fall from height incident, etc.
While we have learned about the various types and significance of fall protection systems, it is crucial to remember that fall prevention is more important than fall protection. Therefore, it is essential to take all possible measures to prevent the risk of falling before considering fall protection measures.
Shamal Swamidas CMIOSH
