Fall Prevention and Protection Programs

Michael Ziskin, CHCM, CHMM, CBCP Field Safety Corporation

Field Safety Corporation

OSHA Standards

1910 General Industry 1915 Shipyard Employment 1917 Marine Terminals 1918 Longshoring 1926 Construction

OSHA Letters of Interpretation

Ladders Reinforcing steel, rebar caps Wet floors due to weather conditions

American National Standards Institute/American Society of Safety

Engineers

ANSI/ASSE Z359.0-2012 - Definitions and Nomenclature Used for Fall Protection and Fall Arrest

ANSI/ASSE Z359.1-2007 - Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components

ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2007 - Minimum Requirements for a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program

ANSI/ASSE Z359.3-2007 - Safety Requirements for Positioning and Travel Restraint Systems

ANSI/ASSE Z359.4-2013 - Safety Requirements for Assisted-Rescue and Self-Rescue Systems, Subsystems and Components

American National Standards Institute/American Society of Safety

Engineers

ANSI/ASSE Z359.6-2009 - Specifications and Design Requirements for Active Fall Protection Systems

ANSI/ASSE Z359.7-2011 - Qualification and Verification Testing of Fall Protection Products

ANSI/ASSE Z359.12-2009 - Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest System

ANSI/ASSE Z359.13-2013 - Personal Energy Absorbers and Energy Absorbing Lanyards

ANSI/ASSE Z359.14-2012 - Safety Requirements for Self-Retracting Devices For Personal Fall Arrest and Rescue Systems

Recognizing fall hazards and how to control them Walking and Working Surfaces ◦ Routine Work ◦Maintenance ◦ Construction ◦ Fall Rescue

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After the fall….

Back injuries Strains and sprains Contusions Fractures 15% of all accidental deaths

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The consequences… Field Safety Corporation

Risk Analysis

Equipment Hazards ◦ Improper footwear ◦Uneven surfaces ◦ Foreign substances on surface (oil, litter) ◦Unguarded sides and edges of elevated platforms

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Risk Analysis

Human ◦ Carelessness ◦Haste ◦Human error ◦ Failure to follow instructions ◦ Fatigue

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Risk Analysis

Environmental ◦ Poor lighting ◦Weather-related conditions

Multiple factors ◦ Increases risk ◦ Example - Polished marble floor + wetness from mopping or snow being tracked in = higher risk and then we are in a rush! Even higher risk

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Risk Analysis

Slips from ◦ Floors or other working surfaces become slippery due to… ◦Wet or oily processes ◦ Floor cleaning ◦ Leaks ◦Materials and debris left in walkways

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Risk Analysis

Trips occur from… ◦Uneven floor or working surfaces ◦ Protruding nails and boards ◦ Stretched carpet or bunched floor mats ◦Holes or depressions in working surfaces ◦Non-uniform step-risers on stairs

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Falls occur… ◦ Ladders not maintained or used properly ◦ Stairways and elevated surfaces not designed, maintained or used properly ◦Work at heights not properly planned or executed

Risk Analysis Field Safety Corporation

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Holes and Skylignts Protect from: falling through, tripping or

stepping into, and falling objects

Perception of Risk??????????

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Managing and Controling Hazards

Wet or oily processes… ◦Maintain drainage ◦ Provide false floors / platforms ◦Nonslip mats or floor surfaces ◦Dry standing places

Use non-skid waxes and anti-slip floor treatments

Use slip-resistant footwear Clean up promptly and frequently

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Use effective housekeeping procedures ◦Cleaning only one side of a passageway at a time

Provide warning signs for wet floor areas

Provide floor plugs for equipment Tape or anchor temporary cords to floor

Design and maintain aisles and passageways to be wide enough for the intended pedestrian and vehicular traffic

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Relay or stretch carpets that bulge or have become bunched

Eliminate cluttered or obstructed work areas

Keep file cabinet drawers closed Provide good lighting for all halls and stairwells (esp. night hours)

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

◦ OSHA Construction Illumination Standard 1926 ◦ TABLE D-3 - MINIMUM ILLUMINATION INTENSITIES

IN FOOT-CANDLES _________________________________________ Foot-Candles Area of Operation ◦ 5 General construction area lighting. ◦ 3 General construction areas, ◦ 5 Indoors: warehouses, corridors,

hallways, and exit ways. ◦ 5 Tunnels, shafts, and general

underground work areas ◦ 10 General construction plant and

shops ◦ 30 First aid stations, infirmaries, and

offices

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Examples of industrial and office tasks and recommended light levels are in the table below. Recommended Lighting Levels*

Type of Activity Lighting** (Lux) Public spaces with dark surroundings 30 Simple orientation for short temporary visits 50 Working spaces where visual tasks are only occasionally performed 100 Performance of visual tasks of high contrast or large scale 300 Performance of visual tasks of medium contrast or small size 500 Performance of visual tasks of low contrast or very small size 1000 Performance of visual tasks near threshold of person's ability to recognize an image 3000-10000 * Modified from: IESNA Lighting Handbook. 9th ed. Illuminating Engineering Society

of North America, 2000. p. 10-13./Adapted with permission from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (2011).

** The recommended range is +/- 10% of these values.

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Stairs with proper handrails ◦ treads and risers maintained ◦ treads slip-resistant

Use handrail on stairs ◦ avoid undue speed ◦ view stairs ahead of path ◦ team up to manage bulky loads

Eliminate uneven floor surfaces

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Elevated work areas ◦ Guardrails ◦ toe boards ◦ means of access that is permanent

Floor drains, pits, other floor openings are covered or protected with guardrails

Ladders ◦ Properly maintained ◦ Rungs uniformly spaced ◦ Non-slip safety feet

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Do not use ◦ Stools ◦ Chairs ◦ boxes or ◦ other objects as substitutes for ladders

Special planning and job safety analysis for non-routine work tasks

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Managing and Controlling Hazards

Follow manufacturer recommendations when using ◦ Scissor or aerial lifts ◦ Scaffold systems ◦ Personal fall arrest systems

Rescue plans for working at heights

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An unapproved modification!

Case Study….Boiler Room

Fixed Ladders Catwalks Platforms Mobile Ladders

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OSHA SUBPART D – WALKING AND WORKING SURFACES

Design and use of Fixed Industrial Stairs, Portable Ladders, Fixed Ladders, Scaffolding, and the Guarding of Wall and Floor Openings. ◦ Fixed Ladders 1910.27 ◦ Guarding Floor and Wall Openings 1910.23 ◦ Walking-Working Surfaces General Requirements 1910.22 ◦ Manually Propelled Mobile Ladder Stands and Scaffolds 1910.29

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OSHA SUBPART D – WALKING AND WORKING SURFACES

General Duty Clause Access to the ladder Protection for floor openings Fixed Ladders – Specific Features Minimum Ladder Clearances Clearance (Side-to-Side, Overhead,

Obstructions) Work Practices Manually Propelled Mobile Ladder Stands

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Preparing For the Fall

Starts on the ground!

Fall Rescue Plan

Procedures for: ◦ Preventing prolonged suspension ◦ Performing rescue and treatment as quickly as possible ◦ Identifying orthostatic intolerance signs and symptoms ◦ Communication between suspended worker and rescuers

Fall Rescue Plan

Procedures for: ◦ Crane Man Basket ◦Mobile Elevating Work Platform ◦ Rope Access Rescue ◦ Third Party Rescue Systems ◦Practicing the Procedure

Fall Rescue Plan

Who is working at height and where? Communication between suspended

worker and supervisor / rescue team Emergency contact for rescue and first aid

assistance/emergency hospital ◦ Which floor / how high up is casualty

Safety of rescuers

Fall Rescue Plan

Access to casualty Equipment needs to minimize suspension

trauma – 5 min. window Casualty injured, 5 min. rescue? Protection of others – traffic control Accident scene protection

Fall Rescue Plan

Working alone provisions Unusual features of building Weather conditions Proximity to emergency services / hospital Language barriers

Professional Rescue Trained rescue personnel will:

◦ Safety you with a rated

rescue rope ◦ Ask if you are injured, and if

you are, treat as best as possible ◦ Remove you from your fall

arrest system and attach you the rescue system ◦ Raise or lower you to safety

Suspension Trauma

Factors that can Affect the Degree of Risk of Suspension Trauma

Inability to move legs Hypothermia Pain Shock

Injuries during fall Cardiovascular disease Fatigue Respiratory disease

Dehydration Blood loss

Rescue Considerations

Amount of time worker is suspended affects the manner in which he or she is rescued

Moving a worker to a horizontal position after extended period of time in vertical position could lead to a large volume of deoxygenated blood to move to the heart

Heart may be unable to cope with the increase in blood flow leading to cardiac arrest

OSHA Recommendations OSHA recommends the following

general practices/considerations: ◦ Rescue as quickly as possible ◦ Be aware the worker is at risk of orthostatic intolerance and suspension trauma ◦ Signs and symptoms of orthostatic intolerance ◦ Factors that can increase the risk of suspension trauma

Thank you!

Michael Ziskin, CHCM, CHMM, CBCP Field Safety Corporation mziskin@fieldsafety.com Office 203- 483- 6003 Cell 203-430-9817 www.fieldsafety.com Field Safety Corporation