ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Fall protection can be defined as a system or means to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries from a fall.
Often, when we think of fall protection, we think of someone wearing a harness and being tied to something.
Fall protection is much more than this.
Anniston Army Depot operates under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1910 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry, which requires fall protection be provided when working at heights greater than four feet.
This is less than the six-foot requirement identified in the OSHA 1926 Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Construction.
It is important to note that fall protection must be provided, regardless of the height, if work is being performed over a hazardous location, such as a chemical vat or hazardous piece of equipment.
Once we have identified a fall hazard exists, we can apply the Hierarchy of Fall Protection to determine a proper path forward.
This hierarchy consists of the basic methods of fall protection used to protect workers:
1. Hazard elimination
2. Passive protection
3. Travel restraint
4. Fall arrest
The first choice of fall protection is hazard elimination.
Is it possible to do this work by changing the equipment, structures or process, so workers are not exposed to the fall hazard?
Can we eliminate the reason for a person to work at heights?
Consider a person who normally climbs a ladder to change a light bulb.
Instead of working off a ladder, could an extendable pole be used for changing light bulbs or could the lights be designed to lower, so bulbs can be changed from the ground?
The second choice of fall protection is passive protection.
These systems are considered passive in that they do not require an action by the worker. Examples of these include guardrails, covers, walls or similar barriers.
There are several advantages to these systems.
No specialized training is required for using guardrails and covering or guarding holes.
Additionally, one system can protect many people, unlike a fall restraint or fall arrest system, which only protects one worker at a time.
Travel restraint is the third choice for fall protection.
Travel restraint is used to protect workers by restricting the worker's movement.
The worker's equipment attaches to an adjacent structure and the length of the system is adjusted so the worker cannot travel beyond the fall hazard.
The equipment used for travel restraint is typically the same as used for fall arrest.
The likelihood of an injury while using fall restraint is relatively low because, if a worker falls, it will be to the level he or she is working on, instead of a lower level.
The disadvantage to a travel restraint system is that it may be too restrictive to allow the worker to get to the location required to do the work.
Fall arrest is the fourth choice for fall protection.
Fall arrest systems are designed to allow a fall, but catch the person and keep them from striking the ground or other hazardous objects.
Fall arrest systems require more considerations, as the worker's body must absorb some of the arresting force, which may cause injuries, even when designed properly.
Fall arrest systems are composed of three main components, often referred to as the ABCs:
• Anchorages
• Body harness
• Connectors
The anchorage point for a fall arrest system must support 5,000 pounds per person, unless it is a certified anchorage and has been designed by a qualified person.
The body harnesses used at ANAD are all issued from the Safety Store.
There are several different kind of connectors which may be used.
In most production shops, a fall protection boom may be used as the anchor point. These booms have a self-retracting device attached, which serves as the connector.
In some cases, a fall protection lanyard may be required when anchoring to a fixed point.
Under no circumstances should a lanyard be connected to a self-retracting device. This increases the fall distance and may allow the employee to strike the ground.
Fall protection may be as simple as a guard rail or net over a pit. Or, it may be a complex system, composed of several components.
It is the system used to keep you from striking a lower lever or hazardous object.
If an employee uses anything beyond a simple guard rail, they must attend the ANAD Authorized Person Fall Protection course. This class goes into more detail on each of these subjects. If you are unsure if fall protection is required where you work, give the Safety Office a call at Ext. 7541.
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