Fall Hazards in Construction Industry

Fall Protection Requirements

• Employers must provide fall protection for construction workers on surfaces with unprotected sides or edges above 6 feet.
• Fall protection is mandatory when working over dangerous machinery or equipment, regardless of height.

Fall Hazards in Specific Scenarios

• An ironworker on a tilt-up concrete wall wearing a harness but not tied off faces a fall hazard.
• Workers preparing a second-story roof after removing roofing materials and skylights are at risk for falls.

Ladder Safety Guidelines

• A personal fall arrest system is required at heights of 10 feet or higher to prevent falls.
• An unsecured 10-foot ladder used to access a landing 9 feet high presents a fall hazard.
• A 10-foot ladder is insufficient to safely reach a 9-foot high landing.

Ladder Specifications

• Ladders should extend at least 3 feet above the working surface to ensure safe access.
• For every 4 feet of ladder height, the base should be positioned 1 foot away from the wall.
• A 10-foot high roof requires a ladder of at least 14 feet, with the base 2.5 feet from the wall.

Points of Contact When Using Ladders

• Maintain at least three points of contact (two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot) while ascending or descending a ladder for safety.

Fall Prevention Systems

• Guardrails are categorized as a fall prevention system.

Safety Net Systems

• Safety nets must be installed as close as possible below the working surface, no more than 30 feet down.
• They must be capable of absorbing the impact of a 400-pound sandbag.
• The nets should have a border rope with a minimum strength of 5000 pounds.
• Regular inspections of safety nets are required weekly and after incidents that could cause damage.

Safety Net Inspection Protocol

• Inspect safety nets every week and following any potentially damaging events to ensure effectiveness.