Fall Protection for Construction Companies

Construction companies face a liability challenge due to falls on the job site. DII is providing fall prevention from heights in this article to help mitigate this challenge, keeping workers and their employers safe from serious falls on the job site.

1. When a crew enters a job site where they will be working on scaffolding, ladders, man lifts, bucket trucks, etc. these common sense safety precautions should be implemented upon arrival at the site:
2. Body harnesses – compliance with harnesses has historically proven to be challenging. Jobsite work should stop immediately if workers have opted to not wear their harnesses, and cannot resume until all height workers are properly harnessed.
3. Fall arrest system – check all three components: the rigging anchor, the full-body harness worn by a worker, and the lanyard connecting the worker’s harness to the rigging anchor.
4. Training – train employees on fall hazards and the use of fall protection. The fall protection training standard (§1926.503) is one of the 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards. A review of frequently-cited OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501 regarding fall protection is also important.

Many construction training courses are now offered online, removing significant barriers to training compliance. Every employee who might be exposed to fall hazards must have training that covers the nature of fall hazards on the job and content of the fall protection standards. You must provide employees instruction in how to correctly erect, inspect, maintain, and disassemble the guardrail, personal fall arrest, and safety net system chosen for a work site, as well as how to correctly use fall protection systems. Written records certifying each worker’s fall protection training are required by OSHA.

As the busy summer construction season begins, elevated further by post-pandemic return to work potential, it is more important than ever to keep workers safe and to be in compliance with OSHA.

For more information about how DII partners with Construction Companies, click here.