introduction to fall protection - safety services manitoba · •report to a supervisor any hazard...

Introduction to Fall Protection

with John Evinger CRSP

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• Expected results of the day…

• Today I will provide you with information to make you realize that you don’t have enough

• What does safety mean to you ?

• Quality of your life

• Quality of family life

• Quality of life for those around you

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Fall protection reg. WSHR #14 14.1(1) This Part applies to every workplace where there is a risk of a worker falling • (a) a vertical distance of 3 m or more; • (b) a vertical distance of less than 3 m where there is an

increased risk of injury due to the surface or item on which the worker might land;

• (c) into operating machinery or moving parts of the machinery;

• (d) into water or another liquid; • (e) into or onto a hazardous substance or object; • (f) through an opening on a work surface; or • (g) a vertical distance of more than 1.2 m from an area used

as a path for a wheelbarrow or similar equipment.


In 1 second your body will fall 5m (16ft)

Good body reaction time = 0.5 seconds

Travel time in 0.5 seconds = 2m (6.5ft) 64 ft = 2 secs

100ft = 2.5 secs 144ft = 3 secs 256ft = 4 secs

Average height of falls causing injury is 3-20 feet

FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY


Responsibilities • Employers are responsible for taking every

precaution reasonable to protect workers by:

• Creating and enforcing safe work procedures, policies, and by providing training

• Ensuring that any required equipment, materials, or safety devices are available, properly maintained and used in accordance with manufactures’ or designers written instructions

• Provide competent people to supervise workers

Responsibilities

• Providing adequate training in a language that everyone can understand

• Responsible for taking every precaution reasonable to protect workers

• Must advise workers of any existing or potential hazards and ensure that each worker works in a safe manner

Responsibilities • Must ensure that affected workers comply

with requirements and use materials and equipment properly

• Provide proper and adequate instructions to workers regarding safety-related equipment and materials as well as specific procedures to follow

Responsibilities • The worker must: • Use all equipment and protective devices and

follow all safe work policies and procedures • Report to a supervisor any hazard and any

defect in safety related equipment or material that workers become aware of

• Remember workers have the right to refuse work or any given portion of a task if they believe it could injure themselves or any other worker

INVESTIGATION PROVES DIFFERENT

What happening in the province

What's happening in other provinces


Hierarchy of Fall Protection

• 1. Hazard Elimination

• 2. Initial Fall Protection – Guardrails

• 3. Fall Restraint Systems

• 4. Fall Arrest Systems

• 5. Work Procedures


Hazard Elimination

Any idea, equipment,

process change or new

technology that eliminates

the need to work at height

is considered Hazard

Elimination.

Hazard Elimination is the

preferred method of

controlling fall hazards.

Standard Guardrails

• Top Rail (40 - 44 in)

• Mid Rail

• Toeboards (5 in - .5 in)

• Vertical Uprights

• Maximum 8 feet spacing (or eng)

• Strength- Capable of withstanding a load of 150 lbs side load

Travel Restriction Method

• 400 lbs

• With a meter of the edge

Anchorage

Lanyard

Waist Belt

1 D-ring

Fall Arrest Systems ... Stop a worker’s fall before the worker hits the surface below. • Full body harnesses, connected by an energy an absorbing lanyard or lifelines to secure anchors

Full Body Harness Inspection

History - check label for age, mfg. date

- determine area of use and

mechanism of damage

D-Rings - check for deformity or damage

- sharp edges, burrs, corrosion

Webbing - physical damage

- frays, cuts, pulled fibers

- burns, melted areas

- broken, pulled stitches

- chemical or paint damage

- UV damage

- excessive soiling

- broken dorsal pad or leg grommets

Full Body Harness Full body harnesses maintain the

body in an upright position and

direct forces to the sub-pelvic area.

Harnesses must be worn properly

for them to work.

1. Sub-pelvic under buttocks

2. Leg Straps snug

3. Shoulder straps not coming off shoulders

4. Dorsal D-ring between shoulder blades

5. No twists, excess webbing, cuts, etc.

Full Body Harness

Dorsal D-ring – Fall Arrest

Frontal D-ring – Ladder

Climbing

Hip D-rings – Work

Positioning

D-rings on back of belt - Accessory

Fall Distance

• The total distance from the workers pre-fall level to the level where the worker finally comes to a complete stop

Free Fall

• The distance from the point where the worker begins to fall to the point where the fall arrest system begins to react

• A personal fall arrest system may not allow a worker to fall more than 4 feet or 1.2 meters

Calculate your clearance!

Take a few seconds to make

sure that you will not contact

the ground or surrounding

structure.

Total Required Clearance = 17.5 Feet (from the anchor)

6’

1’

3.5’

5’

2’

Height of Worker

Margin of Safety

Personal Energy

Absorber Deployment

Initial Lanyard Length

Worker Harness / Stretch

Energy absorbing lanyard

Vertical Lifelines and Fall Arrestors

Vertical Lifelines and Fall

Arrestors (rope grabs) are

very common.

The system typically consists

of vertical lifeline (rope),

energy absorbing lanyard (3’

max), fall arrestor, and full

body harness.

Automatic Fall Arrestors

Automatic fall arrestors travel along

the lifeline without having to be

opened manually.

Automatic fall arrestors can

significantly increase fall distances.

Automatic fall arrestors should be

“parked” overhead upon reaching

the work area.

Ladder Climbing Systems

Ladder climbing devices are

an alternative to cages and

the preferred system to

protect permanent ladders.

A sleeve travels along a

pipe, cable or rail that is

bolted to the ladder itself.

D-Ring height above

Fall Arrestor





structure.

D-Ring height above

Fall Arrestor

Activation Distance of

Fall Arrestor

Initial Lanyard Length

Personal Energy Absorber

Deployment

Height of Worker

Dyn

am

ic E

lon

gati

on

of

Lif

elin

e

Free Fall

Distance

Deceleration

Distance

>6’ (3+3+activation)

1’

3.5’

5’

Worker / Harness Stretch

Retractable Lifeline (SRL)

Self-Retracting Lifeline Inspection History - check label for age, mfg. date, last service

- determine area of use and mechanism of

damage

Self-Retracting Lifeline

- examine impact indicator

- examine housing for damage and loose parts

- inspect entire length of cable or webbing

- inspect connection to snap hook for worn wires

See webbing and snap hook / carabineer sections for

inspection guidelines of associated components.

10’





structure.

Total Required Clearance = 7.5 Feet

10’

Worker’s Initial

Location

1’ Harness Stretch

4.5’ Free Fall /

Deceleration

2’ Margin of Safety

Vertical Lifeline or Lanyard

Temporary Anchor

Permanent Anchor

Fall Restraint

Fall Arrest

• Load capacity of at least 3.5 kilonewtons

(400-800 pounds)

• Load capacity of at least 22 kilonewtons

(5,000 pounds), and

• Certified in writing by a professional

engineer

Fall Restraint

and Arrest

• Load capacity of at least 22 kilonewtons

(5,000 pounds)

Note: Not for H.L.L. use

Horizontal Lifeline

Temporary Anchor

Permanent Anchor

Fall Restraint

Fall Arrest

• Certified in writing by a professional

engineer Fall Restraint

and Arrest

• End anchors must have load capacity of

at least 71 kN (16,000 lb.), or*

• Certified by a professional engineer

• End anchor capacity must be based on

an ultimate load of 3.5 kN (800 lb.) per

worker applied perpendicular to the span

of the line at the critical location.

800 lb.

End

Anchor

* If the ability of the structure to resist 71 kN is

questioned, an engineer’s certification may be required.

Permanent Anchor

Minimum

2m (6.5 ft.)

Control Zone and Safe Zone

Safe

Zone

Control Zone

Minimum

2m (6.5 ft.)

Control Zone

Minimum

2m (6.5 ft.)

Minimum

2m (6.5 ft.) Falling

Edge

Warning Line

Fall Protection Hierarchy

First Consideration

Second Consideration

Third Consideration

Fourth Consideration

Fall Protection Plan is Required JHA When work procedures are used Where the Province directs because of the possibility of a

fall involving an unusual risk of injury Plan fall protection for every job. Complete the plan before work begins! Communicate the Fall Protection Plan to all workers. Train workers in the use of equipment, systems and

methods outlined in the plan.

Fall Protection Plan Specifics

A Fall Protection Plan must be

In written form

Specific for the work site

Available at the place of work and must specify

Fall hazards in each work area

Fall protection systems to be used

Rescue procedures from elevated work areas

Suspension Trauma • How Long Have You Got?? • In testing; uninjured volunteers felt dizzy in as little as 3 minutes

– Typically 5 to 20 minutes • Loss of consciousness in as little as 5 minutes

– Typically 5 to 30 minutes

It is difficult to put a timeline on deaths, however from research it is clear that death can result in as little as 10 minutes, more typically between 15 and 40 minutes post-suspension. Death is more rapid with existing injuries but can happen to anyone. Anyone immobilised in an upright posture is in immediate danger of death

Ladder safety

Scaffolding

Summary Fall protection is…

• Full day of training (minimum), including hands on practical

• Standards are out there

• Full assessment…documented

• Fall protection plans are out there

• Inspections – environment, equipment, site and people

introduction to fall protection - safety services manitoba · •report to a supervisor any hazard...

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