All About Commercial Fall Protection

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are standards for hazardous danger zones when working on a commercial roof. Minimizing these dangers is necessary.

There are various reasons why people might be on a roof, especially on a commercial building rooftop such as maintenance roof inspections. Here is how to stay safe and keep to OSHA standards.

Fall Protection Guardrails

One of the best examples is a guardrail. Guardrails are a stationary system used to protect workers from falling at major heights.

Therefore, this fall protection system prevents falls between stairwells, balconies, roofs, or open holes between pipes. This system is commonly used in many places, such as :

• warehouses

• retail shops

• construction sites

• shipping facilities

• industrial settings

• commercial buildings

• landscaping settings

Guardrails are specifically designed to prevent falls around hazard areas. The OSHA has imposed regulations for when guardrails should be installed and specifications for how they must be implemented.

By law, building owners or employers should comply with all regulations concerning fall hazards in the workplace provided by the OSHA. Moreover, this fall protection system must be used when people have access to unsecured edges of the following surfaces:

• Open edges for roofs and floors

• Around a balcony

• Around open platforms, raised platforms, or scaffolds

• Around elevated work surfaces

If you are looking for a guardrail that can be installed, contact us here for assistance.

Quality Inspection

There are several things to consider when examining fall protection systems and personal protection equipment.

Has a fall protection system been correctly installed within the guidelines of the manufacturer? Are the calculations accurate to ensure safe load levels? Has it been constructed properly with the correct components?

If the answers to these questions are no, then workers working at height may be in danger. Therefore, some problems that quality inspection must cover include:

• Signs of corrosion

• Checking damages in cables

• Energy absorbers inspection

• Inspection of harnesses and lanyards for cuts and breaks

• Re-tensioning of cables

• Checking damages to fittings

Quality Training

Although safety for people working at heights sits with the employer or building owner, the worker themselves must take responsibility for their safety. However, most of them lack the proper training or knowledge required to correctly identify whether a fall protection system or PFPE is safe to use.

Failure in doing so could lead to severe injuries, or worse, death. Thus, quality training is imperative and is always the best form of protection.

Takeaway

Quality training, regular quality inspection, and the right equipment are essential. However, all count for nothing without the required safety methods and risk assessments considered in place. That said, all equipment must go through pre-checks. Consider hiring us to examine systems and ensure proper placements. 678-800-8299