April 8, 2014
Fall protection rules can seem complicated because every situation is different.
Even for those who know the rules forward and back, each fall protection situation is a challenge.
What’s worse is that over the years, some people have had their misinformation or incorrect approaches to fall protection reinforced by others who didn’t fully understand (or care to understand) what is actually required. As a result, workers or supervisors have developed not only bad habits, but potentially deadly habits, by creating a false sense of security. It causes people to take risks they otherwise would not have taken. And if things go wrong, the consequences could be dire.
So what common mistakes occur in the world of fall protection?
You’re patching up a roof, building a new one, or servicing your air handling equipment. You’re surrounded by warning flags or rails and you have a safety monitor in place to let you know if you’re getting too close to the edge ( see this blog for more information on warning lines and monitors ). You’ve done everything right.
Right?
But what about those skylights? Skylights are often overlooked as a fall hazard when working on roofs. They’re covered, so they’re ignored. The problem is that the glass, plastic, and even sometimes the protective caging cannot withstand the forces of a falling person…or even the weight of a person sitting on it.
Skylights must be protected. Simply adding the proper type of skylight protection screen, can eliminate this problem. If that’s not feasible, temporary railings could also do the trick, but one way or the other, they must be protected.
Read Full Article At Simplifiedsafety.com
