This training session provides important information on fall protection at

construction sites. Anyone who is exposed to potential fall hazards must

be trained to identify these hazards and how to properly use fall

protection.

Note that this training session covers general fall protection topics but

does not discuss certain specific activities covered by the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations, such as

stairways, ladders, electric power lines, and steel erection work.

1

The objectives of this session include being able to:

• Recognize fall hazards and identify when fall protection is needed;

• Use basic fall protection systems;

• Prevent objects from falling;

• Inspect personal fall arrest systems; and

• Rescue yourself and others from falls.

2

Statistics on falls show how important it is to understand fall protection.

• Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry.

• About 700 workers in all U.S. industries are killed by falls each year.

• About 100,000 construction workers are injured by falls each year.

• And 40% of construction industry injuries are related to falls.

3

Fall protection regulation is the responsibility of (*) OSHA under the Code

of Federal Regulations Title 29, Sections 1926.500 to 1926.503.

• Construction sites are covered by these regulations.

• The regulations protect all workers at construction sites who might be

exposed to fall hazards.

• You must be trained to recognize fall hazards and to follow training

procedures to minimize fall hazards.

• However, scaffolds, cranes and derricks, steel erection, tunneling,

electrical transmission, and ladders and stairways are not covered in

these particular regulations or this session.

4

There are a number of requirements for employers to take precautions

to guard you against fall hazards. These include:

• Assessing site conditions to determine where workers might be

exposed to fall hazards, such as leading-edge work, holes in the floor,

openings in walls (including large windows), excavations, and other

potential hazards.

• Selecting fall protection systems that are appropriate for each

potential fall hazard.

• Installing fall protection systems that have been selected. These must

be properly constructed and may require special engineering and

design.

• Following safe work procedures that are developed to protect against

fall hazards on the site.

• Finally, training workers in the proper selection, use, and maintenance

of fall protection systems.

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It’s important to recognize free fall hazards—that is, potential falls from a

higher elevation to a lower elevation—because these cause the most

serious injuries and can occur anywhere, at any time. Examples of free-

fall hazards include:

• Edges of platforms, stairs, and other working surfaces;

• Sloping surfaces, such as a roof;

• Ladders;

• Holes or openings, including skylights; and

• Tools and equipment falling onto workers or workers falling onto

equipment.

The photograph on this slide shows a broken skylight where a roofer sat

on it and fell through to his death.

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When is fall protection needed? You must be protected from potential

fall hazards under these conditions:

• Whenever you are working 6 feet or more above a lower level.

• When there is a hazard of falling into dangerous equipment, even if

the equipment is less than 6 feet below you. That’s because the

dangerous equipment may be more of a hazard than the fall.

• Certain specific areas or activities identified in the OSHA regulations.

These include ramps, runways, walkways, excavations, hoist areas, holes,

formwork and reinforcing steel, leading-edge work, unprotected sides

and edges, overhand bricklaying, roofing work, precast concrete

erection, wall openings, and residential construction.

• Finally, fall protection is required when walking and working surfaces

are being inspected to make sure they are strong enough.

7

Do you understand the hazards of falls and fall protection requirements?

It is time for you to ask yourself if you understand the material presented

so far.

It is important for your safety that you understand how to protect

yourself against falls.

8

Fall protection systems are of two primary types:

• Fall prevention, or restraint, systems. These keep you from falling in the

first place. A guardrail is an example of a fall restraint.

• Fall arrest systems are types of equipment that stop a fall in progress. A

harness, such as the one shown here, is an example of a fall arrest

device.

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Falls can be prevented by following certain safe work practices and

using equipment that prevents falls. Here are some safe work practices

to follow when working near potential fall hazards:

• Keep the work area clean, neat, and orderly. A work area cluttered

with materials, tools, and equipment could result in a worker tripping

and falling to a lower level.

• Look around you, and be aware of your surroundings. Know where the

nearby fall hazards are located.

• Listen to verbal warnings—you may be approaching a fall hazard

without knowing it. Pay attention when a coworker warns you of a

hazard.

• Use fall protection for every fall hazard, and don’t go near a hazard

unless some form of fall prevention system is in place.

• Avoid dropping objects such as tools and materials to the level below

you. Someone below you could be killed or seriously injured.

• Finally, never run when working at a high elevation. Running makes it

easier for you to trip or lose your balance.

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Here are some important fall prevention systems and practices

commonly used to prevent falls at construction sites:

• Positioning device systems, or anchored harness;

• Guardrails;

• Warning line systems;

• Safety monitoring systems;

• Controlled access zones, or CAZs;

• Covers; and

• Protection from falling objects.

We’ll discuss these in more detail in the next few slides.

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A positioning device system with a harness is a very effective device for

both restraining and for arresting falls. It is commonly used when

working close to an unprotected edge or on a slope, such as a roof.

• The harness is connected by a lanyard to an anchor. When a harness

is anchored in this way, it is a fall restraint system.

• This system allows movement around the worksite.

• It prevents you from going off the edge because the length of the

lanyard can be adjusted.

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Guardrail systems are seen very often on construction sites.

• They are the most common protection used to restrain workers from

falls off ramps, runways, walkways, unprotected sides and edges, and

wall openings, as well as falls into excavations, holes, and hazardous

equipment.

• Top rails must be able to withstand a 200-pound force applied in an

outward or downward direction. Top rails also must be 39 to 45 inches

above the walking or working surface. Steel or plastic banding is not

acceptable for rails, but manila, plastic, or synthetic rope can be used

as long as it is inspected regularly to make sure it remains strong and

stable.

• Midrails must be able to withstand a 150-pound force. They must be

installed halfway between the top rail and the walking or working

surface. If screens, mesh, or panels are used instead of midrails, these

must extend all the way from the top rail to the surface.

• Toeboards must be installed and must be strong enough to withstand

a 50-pound force applied in an outward or downward direction.

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Here are some other important features of effective guardrail systems:

• They must be smooth, with no projections. They should not present a

danger of puncture wounds or lacerations or the possibility of snagging

clothing. The ends of rails cannot hang out over the posts or project out

into the walking or working surface.

• A fall arrest system is required whenever guardrails are removed. For

example, at hoisting areas, a chain, gate, or removable guardrail

section must be placed across the access opening when hoisting

operations are not taking place. During hoisting operations, when the

access opening is not protected, workers must be protected from falling

by using personal fall arrest systems.

• Guardrails must be installed on all unprotected sides around holes,

excavations, and ramps. Holes, including skylights, may also be

protected by covers. When holes are used to pass materials from level

to level, two sides of the guardrail system may be removable. However,

when holes are used as access for people, there must be a gate in the

guardrail system around the hole.

Now let’s look at other types of fall restraining systems.

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A warning line system is used for relatively large, open elevated areas.

• The warning line warns workers to stay a safe distance away from fall

hazards, such as a leading edge or roofline.

• These systems consist of ropes, wires, or chains. The material selected

must have a minimum tensile strength of 500 pounds. However, it is not

meant to support the weight of someone leaning or falling against it.

• The warning line must be flagged every 6 feet or less with high-visibility

material so that workers can easily see the line.

• The warning line must be not less than 34 inches above the working

surface at the lowest sag point and no more than 39 inches above the

surface at the high point.

• The line must be erected around all sides of a roof work area, at least

6 feet from the edge.

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Other points about warning line systems include:

• Stanchions must not tip over easily—they should be able to resist a

force of at least 16 pounds after being rigged with the warning line.

• Workers must be trained to stay out of the unprotected area beyond

the warning line.

• Work that must be done outside the warning line requires another kind

of fall arrest system to be put in place.

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A safety monitor system is used only when no other alternative means of

fall protection can be used:

• A competent person is appointed to monitor and warn workers of

potential fall hazards while you are working.

• The monitor must be able to recognize potential fall hazards.

• The monitor communicates with workers and alerts them both to

hazards and to unsafe work practices. He or she must be on the same

working or walking surface as the other workers and always be able to

see them and be close enough to talk to them.

• The monitor must have no other duties to perform while acting as

safety monitor.

• The monitor keeps unauthorized workers, materials, and equipment

from the area that is being monitored.

• Finally, all workers in the monitored area must comply with any fall

hazard warnings issued by the safety monitor.

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Controlled Access Zones, or CAZs, apply to certain specific types of

work, such as overhand bricklaying.

• CAZs are regulated work areas without conventional fall protection

systems.

• A CAZ is a combination of a warning line system and a safety

monitoring system.

• Access to the CAZ is limited only to qualified employees who are

authorized to be there. For example, these may be specialty workers,

such as masons.

• A CAZ does allow work without fall protection systems. Typically, the

guardrails have been removed from a leading edge.

• The CAZ is clearly designated and marked. It must be defined by a

control line or other means to restrict access to the area.

• Control lines should run the entire length of the unprotected edge and

should run parallel to it. Control lines are connected on each side to a

guardrail system or a wall. The control lines should be set up no closer

than 6 feet and no more than 25 feet from the unprotected edge. For

work such as overhand bricklaying, the control lines should be 10 to 15

feet from the unprotected edge.

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Hole covers are intended to prevent a number of possible falling

hazards. A person could trip, twist an ankle, fall partially into a hole, or

drop materials to a lower level.

• A cover prevents a worker, or a worker’s body part, from penetrating

a walking or working surface.

• Covers are required for all holes equal to or greater than 2 inches

wide.

• Covers must be able to support twice the weight of persons or

equipment expected to cross over it. For example, a cover located in a

roadway or a vehicular aisle must be able to support twice the weight

of the largest vehicle likely to be on it.

• Covers need to be secured to prevent accidental displacement by

equipment, employees, or wind.

• Finally, covers must be color-coded or marked with the word “Hole” or

“Cover.”

19

Preventing objects from falling from elevated work areas is

accomplished in a number of different ways.

• Use screen or panels with guardrail systems to prevent tools or

equipment from falling on workers below. Screens and panels should be

installed so that they extend from the working surface to the top rail.

• Store materials at least 4 feet from the edge of open surfaces. Only

masonry bricks and mortar may be closer than 4 feet from the edge.

Excess material and debris should be kept out of the work area and

removed at regular intervals.

• For roofing work, store materials at least 6 feet away from the roof

edge unless guardrails are erected at the edge with screens or panels.

Also, materials stacked near the edge should be stable and self-

supporting.

• Use canopies as a way to protect workers below; canopies must be

strong enough to prevent collapse, as well as to prevent penetration by

any falling object.

• Keep areas barricaded where objects are likely to fall; this prevents

workers from walking through the area and subjecting themselves to

danger.

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• Use toeboards as another way to prevent objects from being

accidentally kicked over the edge. They should be placed along the

edge for a distance sufficient to protect anyone below. They need to

be strong enough to withstand a force of at least 50 pounds and be at

least 3½ inches high from the working surface. If tools, equipment, or

materials are piled higher than the toeboard, paneling or screening

should be installed.

• Keep tools, materials, and debris picked up so that they can’t be

accidentally kicked over the edge.

• Never throw objects down to lower levels, even if you think there is no

one below. If it is necessary to throw objects to a lower level, the area

beneath you should be barricaded to keep people away.

• Always wear a hard hat if you are working underneath workers on a

higher level.

21

Do you understand basic fall restraint systems: guardrails, harnesses,

controlled access zones, warning lines, hole covers, safety monitoring, or

preventing objects from falling?

It’s time to ask yourself if you understand the material presented so far.

It’s important for your safety that you understand how to protect yourself

against falls and falling objects.

22

Now we’ll discuss fall arrest systems. Remember, fall arrest systems do

not prevent someone from falling but are intended to stop a free fall.

One type of fall arrest is a safety net system.

• These are nets intended to catch falling workers.

• They should be installed under the working surface, as close to the

surface as possible.

• The net should never be more than 30 feet below the working surface.

• Safety nets should be inspected regularly—at least once a week.

Look for signs of wear, damage, and other deterioration. Openings in

the net should never be more than 6 inches across.

• There should be sufficient clearance underneath to prevent you from

contacting the surface or structure below if you should fall into the net.

• Finally, remove items that have fallen into the net, including tools,

scraps, and other materials. This is to prevent a worker who falls into the

net from being injured. Objects should be removed as quickly as

possible or at least before the next work shift begins.

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A personal fall arrest system with a harness is the most effective fall arrest

system to protect you from injury.

• The harness distributes the arresting forces among the structural

components of your skeletal system, including your thighs, pelvis, waist,

chest, and shoulders. The harness is rated for a maximum of 1,800

pounds of arresting forces.

• A harness can also be used for positioning a worker or for suspending

a worker if necessary for specialized types of work.

• A body belt is NOT authorized for use as a part of a fall arrest system.

Belts can cause damage to the spine or internal organs when used to

arrest a fall. However, body belts can still be used as a positioning

device.

The D-ring on the upper back, shown on the photo, is important for fall

arrest. Make sure your anchor point is always above this location to limit

the height of the fall. If your anchor point is below your upper back, use

a shorter lanyard to limit your fall distance to 6 feet.

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Here are the elements of an effective personal fall arrest system:

• The system should be set up to have a maximum arresting force of

1,800 pounds. The force of the stop is determined by your body weight

and the distance of the fall: the arresting force is equal to your weight

times the distance. The more you weigh and the longer your fall

distance, the more force it takes to stop a fall.

• A free fall should be no more than 6 feet; the fall arrest system should

be rigged to make sure of this limit. At a 6-foot fall distance, you would

need to weigh more than 300 pounds to suffer arresting forces of more

than 1,800 pounds.

• The system also must be rigged to prevent you from contacting a

lower level during a free fall.

• The system must bring you to a complete stop, and limit the distance

in which you decelerate to no more than 31/2 feet. There will be less

arresting force if you can decelerate for a few feet rather than come to

a sudden stop.

• Finally, the personal fall arrest system must be designed to withstand

twice the potential impact forces of someone falling for a distance of 6

feet.

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Connectors are a critical component of any personal fall arrest system.

• Connectors, including snaphooks and rings, are used to attach the

lanyard to the anchor and the harness.

• Ensure that the snaphooks properly lock into place by inspecting them

regularly.

• Nonlocking snaphooks are prohibited for fall protection.

Note that proper snaphooks are frequently self-locking; they will

automatically lock shut after they have been hooked and must be

manually unlocked in order to be released.

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Unless snap hooks are the locking type and designed for the following

uses:

• Don’t attach them directly to webbing or rope.

• Don’t attach to another snaphook.

• Don’t attach them to a D-ring that has another snaphook or

connector attached to it.

• Don’t attach them to horizontal lifelines.

• Finally, don’t attach them to an object that is not compatible in shape

or dimension. Doing so might cause the connected object to depress

the snaphook keeper and release it accidentally.

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A lanyard, of course, is a key component of a fall arrest system.

• A lanyard is a flexible line of rope or strap with a connector that

connects the harness to an anchor point. It can also be connected to

a lifeline or a deceleration device.

• A lanyard often contains its own deceleration device that is intended

to greatly reduce arresting forces. Different lanyards use different

means, such as tearing or stretching, to absorb the shock of a sudden

stop. Think about what might happen if the lanyard were made of steel

cable—it would not give or stretch to absorb any of the forces, so all the

forces would be absorbed by the worker. By contrast, the deceleration

device on the lanyard reduces arresting forces by “giving” and by

preventing you from bouncing.

• Lanyards should not have any knots, and they should never be

wrapped around sharp objects. Note that knots can reduce the

strength of a lanyard by up to 50%.

28

A lifeline can be part of a fall arrest system, but it is not the same as a

lanyard.

• Lifelines connect the personal fall arrest system—that is, the harness

and the lanyard—to an anchor point if the anchor cannot be reached

by a short lanyard. In a sense, the connection between the lanyard

and the lifeline becomes the anchor point. The lifeline is not intended to

stretch to add to the length of a fall. A lifeline should be designed,

installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person and

should not be used as a substitute for a lanyard.

• The lifeline can hang vertically from one anchor point. The lanyard is

connected at the end of the vertical lifeline.

• The lifeline also can be stretched horizontally between two anchor

points. In this case, the lanyard can be connected at any point along

the horizontal line.

• Lifelines are generally ropes or straps made of synthetic fiber. They

must be able to withstand 5,000 pounds of force.

• Lifelines should be protected against being cut or abraded, so they

should be kept away from sharp edges.

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A deceleration device is used with a fall arrest system to reduce the

forces on your body as the result of a fall.

• It dissipates a substantial amount of energy in arresting the fall.

• Rip-stitch, tearing, or stretching lanyards are the most common types

of lanyards. The maximum deceleration distance is 31/2 feet. Remember

to account for this distance when checking if your fall location is clear.

• A rope grab device travels on a lifeline and automatically, by friction,

engages the lifeline and locks to arrest the person’s fall. This type of

device might be used as part of fall protection system for climbing high

ladders.

• Retracting lanyards or lifelines include devices that allow the line to be

slowly extracted from or retracted into a drum that is under slight tension

when the worker is moving about normally. Fall arrest systems with rope

grab devices or retracting devices can be more than 6 feet long, so

these types of devices give workers more flexibility.

• A lanyard is required between these types of devices and the harness

if there is no other deceleration device that is part of the system.

30

The anchors of a fall arrest system are critically important. A fall arrest

system is only as good as its anchor.

• An anchor is a secure point of attachment for a lanyard, lifeline, or

deceleration device.

• An anchor should be designed to support at least 5,000 pounds per

person that is attached to it.

• Ideally, the anchor point should be located above you. If it is shoulder

height or higher, this will reduce the length of the fall and reduce the

possibility of swinging and hitting something. Remember, the maximum

allowable distance for a free fall is 6 feet. The further the fall, the greater

the arresting forces on you.

• Ask a supervisor if you are unsure about proper anchor points. Keep in

mind that you should not anchor to electrical conduits, water lines, or

guardrails. There is no point in tying to an anchor at all if it is not strong

enough to withstand the arresting forces of a fall.

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Always inspect your personal fall arrest system.

• It should be inspected before each use. After all, your life may

depend on the integrity and condition of the equipment.

• Check D-rings and snaphooks for any sign of cracking, breaking, or

deformation. They each must have a tensile strength of 5,000 pounds.

• Check the ropes, straps, and tongue buckle for cuts, tears, abrasions,

loose stitches, and other defects.

• Ensure that all moving parts are able to move freely and are operating

as designed. Snaphooks should work easily and lock correctly. Rope-

grab devices and retracting lifelines should also be working correctly.

• Remove any defective components that you find. Defective

equipment should be tagged “Out of Service” and sent back to the

manufacturer for repair and recertification.

32

A rescue plan is another important part of fall protection.

• The purpose of the rescue plan is to safely, in the shortest time possible,

rescue a worker who has fallen. It’s important to minimize the time being

suspended after a fall because of something called “suspension

trauma.”

• If suspended in an upright position, blood is pulled down into the lower

legs by gravity. Eventually, the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain is

reduced. If you were standing on the ground when these flows are

reduced, you would faint and become horizontal, which would help get

the blood to circulate out of your legs and back to your brain. However,

if suspended in an upright position, you will faint and remain vertical,

meaning recirculation cannot occur.

• If you are suspended in a harness:

– Push your legs against an object because actively using leg muscles

will help push blood out of your legs; and

– Raise your legs if possible.

33

Do you understand the information on fall arrest systems?

Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information presented

so far.

It is important for your safety that you understand the information on fall

arrest systems.

34

What’s wrong with this picture? This worker is trying to repair a sprinkler

head 14 feet above a concrete pad.

• What are the fall hazards? The main hazard is that she is working close

to an unprotected edge. If she were to fall, she would land on concrete

14 feet below.

• What fall protection systems are missing? For one thing, the platform

has no guardrail or toeboard. Also, she is not wearing a harness for fall

restraint or fall arrest.

35

Now we’ll summarize the key points to remember about this training

session on fall protection:

• First, learn to recognize all of the potential fall hazards in your work

area, such as working near an unprotected edge.

• Always remember to use and operate fall protection systems, such as

fall restraints and fall arrest systems. These may include guardrails,

warning lines, safety monitoring systems, CAZs, safety nets, hole covers,

and personal fall arrest systems with harnesses, lanyards, and lifelines.

• Implement safe work practices, such as keeping your work area clean

and free from potential falling objects.

• Inspect your fall protection systems before each use. Make sure they

are safe and will provide the protection you need.

• Protect others from falling objects by keeping your work area clean

and keeping tools and equipment away from unprotected edges and

openings.

• Finally, be prepared to rescue and assist yourself and others in case of

a fall.

This concludes this training session on Fall Protection in Construction.

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