fall-construction IN CONSTRUCTION SAFETY.ppt

SAFETY, FALL PROTECTION, CONSTRUCTION

1. Fall Protection for Construction
A Survival Guide
Georgia Tech

2. Statistics
•Falls are the number one cause of fatalities in the
construction industry.
•150-200 workers are killed each year and more
than 100,000 injured as a result of falls.
•Overall (including general industry) falls are the
number two biggest cause of fatalities in the U.S.
(motor vehicle accidents are number one).

3. Statistics
•Falls 33%
•Struck By 18%
•Electrical 17%
•Caught In 18%

4. Statistics
•40% of the fatalities were from heights over
40 feet
•Most falls occur on scaffolds or roofs
•25% of fall fatalities were from heights of
11-20 feet
•25% of fall fatalities were from heights of
20-30 feet

5. Most Frequently Cited
1468
609
552
367
231
501(b)(1)
503(a)(1)
501(b)(13)
501(b)(10)
501(b)(11)
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1
9
2
6
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Unprotected sides & edges - Fall
protection
Fall hazards training program
Fall protection - Steep roofs
Fall protection - Residential construction 6’ or more
Fall protection - Roofing work on low-slope roofs

6. Physics of a Fall
•A body in motion (free fall) can cover vast
distances in a short period of time. Consider
this:
–A body in free fall can travel 4 ft in 0.5 seconds
–A body in free fall can travel 16 ft. in 1 second
–A body in free fall can travel 64 ft. in 2 seconds

7. Application of Regulations
•Subpart M (1926.500) applies to fall
protection during construction activities.
•There are a few exceptions from this rule for
the following activities:
–Inspection
–Investigation
–Assessing conditions prior to or after the work
is performed

8. Application of Regulations
•Other existing standards for fall protection
are discussed in different standards (subpart
M would not cover the following items):
–Scaffolds (subpart L)
–Cranes (subpart N)
–Steel Erection (subpart R)
–Stairs and Ladders (subpart X)
–Power Transmission (Subpart V)

9. Contents of Subpart M
•500: Scope,
Application and
definitions
•501: Duty to have fall
protection
•502: Fall protection
systems
•503: Training
Requirements
•Appendices
–A: Roof widths
–B: Guardrail systems
–C: Fall arrest systems
–D: Positioning device
systems
–E: Fall Protection Plan

10. Duty to Have Fall Protection
1926.501
•Fall protection is required when one or
more employees have exposure to falls of
six feet or greater to the lower level.
•Surfaces must be inspected before the work
begins.
•Employees are only permitted to be on
surfaces that are strong enough to support
them.

11. Duty to have Fall Protection
•The following areas
require fall protection
when employees are
exposed to falls (six feet
or greater):
–Leading edges
–Ramps/runways
–Residential construction
–Hoist areas
–Wall and floor openings
–Unprotected sides and
edges
–Above dangerous
equipment (any height)
–Overhand brick laying
–Steep or low slope roofs
–Walking surfaces
–Form work and reinforcing
steel
–Excavations, wells, pits
–Precast concrete

12. Duty to have Fall Protection
Low Slope Roofs
•Low slope roofs
(under 50 feet in
width):
–Fall protection systems
or
–Safety monitor (with
elements required in
this subpart)
•Low slope roofs (50
feet width or greater):
–Fall protection systems
(safety nets,
guardrails, PFAS) or
combination of
–Warning lines and
safety monitor or
–Warning lines and
guardrails or PFAS

13. Protection from Falling Objects
1926.501(c)
•Protection from falling objects is a
requirement.
•Employee working in an area where there is
a danger of falling objects must wear a hard
hat.
•Employer must take steps to protect
employees from hazards (establish
barricades or build canopies).

14. Types of Fall Protection
•Passive are protective systems that do not
involve the actions of employees.
•Active includes systems and components
that require manipulation by employees to
make them effective in providing
protection.

15. Examples of Fall Protection
•Passive system
include:
–Guardrails
–Safety nets
–Covers
–Fences
–Barricades
•Active systems
components (personal
fall arrest system-
PFAS) include:
–Anchorage points
–Lanyard
–Snap hooks
–Life lines
–Body harness

16. Active Systems
•Designed to operate in free fall situations.
•Must be connected to other
systems/components or activated to provide
protection.
•Active systems are designed to protect
employees from the following items:
–Falls
–Forces that can cause injury

17. Guardrails 1926.502(b)
•Guardrails are the
most common form of
fall protection.
•May be made of wood,
pipe, structural steel,
or wire rope.
–Flags must be provided
on wire rope to
increase visibility
•Must have top rail,
mid rail, posts and toe
board
•System must be strong
enough to support 200
pounds of force
applied to the top rail
•Steel or plastic bands
are not acceptable

18. Guardrails-Design Criteria
1926.502(b)
•The top rail must be elevated above the surface
39-45 inches and must be free of jagged edges.
•The mid rail must be located between the top rail
and the walking surface.
•Posts must be spaced no greater than 8 feet.
•Toe boards must be made of a solid material with
no openings greater than one inch and be 3.5
inches high.
•Chains or movable rails must be used near hoists.

19. Safety Net Systems
1926.502(c)
•Placed beneath the working surface (not to exceed
30 feet) to catch personnel or falling material.
•Must be placed as close to the hazard as possible.
•Equipment must be drop tested and certified.
•Must be inspected weekly and after impact.
•Openings can not exceed six inches.
•Defective equipment can not be used.
•Safety nets must extend outward from the outer
most projection of the work surfaces.

20. PFAS 1926.502(d)
•PFAS shall not be tied to a guardrail system
or hoists
•All components of a fall arrest system must
be inspected before each use and after
impact.
•Action must be taken promptly to rescue
fallen employees.

21. PFAS 1926.502(d)
•When stopping a fall, a PFAS must:
–Limit the arresting force to 1800 pounds.
–Be rigid so that an employee can not fall more
than 6 feet of contact a lower level.
–Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit
maximum deceleration distance an employee
travels to 3.5 feet.
–Strength to withstand 2X potential impact of
employee falling 6 ft. or permitted fall distance.

22. Inspecting Equipment
1926.502(d)
•Equipment must be
inspected before each
use for:
–Degradation due to
ultraviolet light
–Any other condition
that is not normal
•The following items
must be inspected:
–Tears or other wear
–Deformed eyelets, D
rings or other parts
–Labels/placards
–Dirt, grease, and oil

23. PFAS (Harness) 1926.502(d)
•Harness systems consist of either nylon or
polyester and the best system will
encompass the entire body (full body
harness).
•Body belts can not be used for fall
protection.
•A full body harness will evenly distribute
weight across the waist, pelvis, and thighs.

24. PFAS (Lanyard) 1926.502(d)
•Lanyards connect the harness to the anchorage
point.
•Must have a minimum breaking strength of 5000
pounds.
•Should be attached to a D ring between the
shoulder blades above the employee.
•There are several types of lanyards that include:
synthetic webbing, synthetic rope and shock
absorbing.

25. Types of Lanyards
•Self retracting
–Eliminates excess slack in the lanyard (cable, rope, or
web)
•Shock absorbing
–Device slows and eventually stops decent and absorbs
the forces (i.e.: rip stitch controlled tearing)
•Synthetic rope
–Absorbs some of the force by stretching
•Synthetic webbing
–Strong but not flexible (absorbs little force)

26. PFAS (life Lines) 1926.502(d)
•Life lines consist of flexible material connected at
one or both ends to an anchorage point.
•There are two types of life lines:
–Vertical:hangs vertically (5000 pound minimum
breaking strength)
–Horizontal: connects at both points to stretch
horizontally (serves as connection point for other
components of PFAS-total system must have safety
factor of two).

27. PFAS (Snap hooks) 1926.502(d)
•Used to connect lanyards to D rings on a body
harness.
•D rings must be compatible. Must be connected to
harness or anchorage point only.
•Snap hooks must have 5,000 tensile strength and
be proof tested to 3600 pounds.
•When using snap hooks:
–Use only one snap hook per D ring to prevent rollout
–All snap hooks must have a locking mechanism

28. PFAS (Anchorage Points)
1926.502(d)
•The anchorage point is most effective when
it is above the employee’s head. Located as
to not allow an employee fall more than 6
feet.
•All anchorage points must be a solid
immovable object that is capable of
supporting 5000 pounds.
•Must not be used to support anything else.

29. Positioning Device Systems
1926.502(e)
•Allows employee to be supported from a vertical
surface (i.e.: wall or telephone pole).
•Must be inspected before each use for defects.
•Must be rigid for no more than a 2 foot free fall.
•Not a fall arrest system!
•The anchorage point must be capable of
withstanding twice the potential impact of an
employee’s fall or 3000 pounds, whichever is
greater.

30. Warning Line System
1926.502(f)
•Rope, wire, or chains are used to warn employees
of an unprotected edge.
•Used mainly on roofs , where PFAS- impractical.
•Established not less than six feet from the edge.
•Materials must have sufficient strength and
complete structure must withstand 16 pound
tipping force.

31. Controlled Access Zones (CAZ)
1926.502(g)
•Only qualified personnel involved in the
operation are allowed to enter the zone.
•Ropes, wires, or chains are used to
designate the area.
•Must be erected not less than six feet nor
more than twenty five feet away from edge.
•Shall be connected on each side to wall.

32. Controlled Access Zones (CAZ)
1926.502(g)
•CAZ must be defined by a control line
(strength of 200 pounds) erected 10-15 feet
from the edge
•Lines must be flagged at six foot intervals.

33. Safety Monitoring System
1926.502(h)
•Uses a monitor (competent person) to patrol
the area and warn employees of the dangers.
•All safety monitors must comply with the
following criteria:
–Be on the same level the work is being performed
–Be close enough to orally communicate
–Have no other assigned duties

34. Safety Monitoring System
1926.502(h)
•Employees must comply with all instructions from
the monitor.
•The full attention of the monitor must focus on
protecting the employees.
•It is recommended that you have a written plan for
using the safety monitoring system to address:
–Identification of the monitor
–Roles of employees in a monitoring system
–Training for using the monitoring system.

35. Covers 1926.502(i)
•Used to protect personnel from falling through
holes in walking surfaces.
•Covers must be secured in place and the word
“Hole” must be written on the cover.
•Covers must have sufficient strength to support:
–Twice the weight to be imposed upon it for pedestrians
–Twice the largest axle weight of vehicle traffic

36. Falling Objects 1926.502(j)
•Employers are required to protect their
employees from falling objects.
•Some methods that might have to be used
(when necessary) consist of:
–Installation of toe boards (at least 3.5 inches
wide)
–Building barricade and restricting entrance
–Installation of screens

37. Fall Protection Plan 1926.502(k)
•Fall protection plans are allowed for the following
operations:
–Residential construction
–Leading edge construction
–Precast concrete erection
•The plan should be strictly enforced.
•The employer must demonstrate that it is
impractical to use fall protection before a fall
protection plan can be used as an alternative.

38. Fall Protection Plan 1926.502(k)
•Plan must be developed by qualified person
and made specific for each site (also must
be up to date).
•Only as qualified person can make changes
to a plan.
•A copy of the plan must be maintained at
the site.

39. Elements of a Fall Protection
Plan
•Statement of Policy
•Fall Protection
Systems to be Used
•Implementation of
Plan
•Enforcement
•Accident Investigation
•Changes to the Plan

40. Training 1926.503
•All employees exposed to fall hazards must
receive training by a competent person that
addresses:
–The nature of fall hazards in the work area
–Procedures for erecting, maintaining,
disassembling and inspecting fall arrest
equipment
–Use and operation of fall arrest equipment

41. Training 1926.503
•Training elements:
–Role of employee in a safety monitoring system
(when used)
–Limitations on the use of mechanical equipment
for low slope roofs
–Role of employees in fall protection plans
–Standards contained in 1926.500-503
–Procedure for handling and storage of
equipment

42. Training 1926.503
•Fall protection training must be certified by
the employer through a written record.
•The latest training certificate must be
maintained.
•Retraining is required when:
–There are changes in the work place
–Changes in the type of fall protection used
–There are inadequacies in employee’s skills