Several governmental organizations, as well as private firms, have implicated news laws and upgraded their current ones in the last decade for fall protection. These strategies aimed to decrease the number of falls, injuries, and deaths. However, experts suggested that the statistics showed negative results, and along with the implementation of laws and rules, companies had to find a way that is more reliable and will decrease the number of accidents.
Certain loopholes in the industry include a lack of trained professionals and faulty fall protection systems. Emerging to control all such issues is the complying of the companies to the fall protection regulation set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Leading Edge Work as per OSHA
What is leading edge work according to OSHA? A leading-edge is a vulnerable boundary of a dais, floor, or any other related area. The position is dangerous when the altitude of the worksite is higher than six feet. OSHA standard 1926.751 suggests that a leading edge is the edge of the roof, floor, or a platform that is unprotected, and people use it as a working or walking surface. There are few guidelines by the standard that are explained below:
Every worker who is constructing a leading edge of more than the limit of six feet above the lower level has to use protection systems, by mandate. These systems include guardrail systems, personal rail systems, warning line systems, and safety net systems. This equipment will aid in the protection process and, in turn, avoid any falls and injuries to the employees.
Other than any person directly involved in the leading edge work, any worker who is walking on a surface of more than six feet above the smaller level needs to use all the protection equipment available to avoid any catastrophic injuries
Fall Hazard Management
There needs to be a systematic approach to the management of fall hazards. These include fall elimination, prevention, and fall arresting processes. A clear training related to the three methods has to be given to all the workers. Fall elimination includes the primary assessment of all the sites, along with the identification of alternative measures to avoid building a leading edge. Fall prevention suggests the early installation of all the machinery and the equipment, such as stairs, rails, and barriers to ensure the safety of the worksite. Furthermore, the fall arresting process acts as a last line of defense and includes installation of harnesses, shock absorbers, lanyards, and many other safety items.
You must take aids from an expert in the field to obtain an OSHA compliant fall safety system. Most of the time, service providers lure customers with substandard equipment and inadequate experience in the installation of fall protection systems. Therefore, you must enter into a tie-up or partnership with renowned fall protection professional to provide the best safety for your employees and avoid catastrophic injuries. Make sure to choose wisely as this will help you in the long run.
