Preventing Injuries, Fatalities and Costly Noncompliance Penalties with Effective Fall Protection Programs

Just last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced proposed penalties of over $1.5 million for a Florida roofing contractor for repeatedly failing to protect its workers from the risks of dangerous falls and other hazards.

Unfortunately, these types of worker injuries and fatalities are all too common. In fact, OSHA reports that falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths.

Employers are required by law to 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. OSHA mandates that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry and eight feet in longshoring operations. In addition, OSHA requires that fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance.

“Fall protection is the backup system planned for a worker who could lose his or her balance at height, in order to control or eliminate injury potential,” said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark. “Generally, fall protection can be provided through the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems. OSHA refers to these systems as conventional fall protection. Other systems and methods of fall protection may be used when performing certain activities.”

Helping companies and institutions develop, manage and monitor fall protection programs are the industrial hygiene experts at Clark Seif Clark. Staffed with Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs) and other occupational and environmental professionals, their teams are available nationwide. Their fall protection services and hazard communication training not only help to safeguard the health and safety of workers, they are also instrumental for complying with existing regulations to avoid costly noncompliance fines in many work environments. 

To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, occupational, environmental, indoor air quality, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues.  CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest.  The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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