Fall Injuries

Scott Asprey, RIBA safety educator

According to the latest information form Bureau of Labor Statistic’s fall injuries are the number one cause of accidents on job sites. Did you know that just about 2-out-of-3injuries occur below 20 feet? Accidents such as the following are just a few examples of preventable falls:

A worker was injured after falling from an 8-foot step ladder while standing backward and on a top step

A worker fell to his death out of a telescoping boom because the person neglected to tie in.

A 23-year-old roofer at lunch stepped on a skylight and fell to his death because it was an unguarded skylight

The bottom line is that you’re responsible for the safety of your employees and their safety training on a regular basis. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to falls:

Fall protection is mandatory in articulating extendable lifts
Proof of training is mandatory when using lifts
Always face the ladder and never work backward to the ladder
Never use the last step or work platform of a ladder to stand on
Fall protection is mandatory over 6 feet above a lower surface
Never work around unprotected edges, sides, opening and hazards that could lead to a fall.