There are hundreds of injuries, illnesses, and even deaths each year due to accidents in the workplace. Construction sites are the most common source of workplace injuries and deaths. For that reason, OSHA works with businesses to ensure they are doing their part to provide employees with a safe work environment.
OSHA uses a three-step process to prevent falls that could be dangerous or even life-threatening. The three steps are to plan, provide, and train. Companies need to plan for potential hazards. They need to provide their employees with the safety equipment needed to protect themselves, and they need to train their employees on best practices to stay safe and avoid injuries.
Falls are one of the most common ways employees injury themselves on a work site. We’ll use Phoenix AZ as an example. If a construction company is building a series of new apartment complexes in Phoenix, they need to plan for the work that is to be done including the number of workers, fall protection gear that will be needed, and the fall protection training Phoenix AZ.
Before the job can get underway, the company needs to ensure that all the workers that will be on the job site have gone through fall protection training, which includes how to properly use the fall protection safety gear, as well as best practices on how to avoid a fall altogether.
Fall protection training Phoenix AZ has to be well documented and available to OSHA in the case of a random inspection, report of a safety violation, or a fall-related injury. If the company is found to not have provided proper safety training, they can be fined and their business will be at risk.
Workers that are six feet above the lower level are at risk of injury or death due to a fall. Six feet is all it takes to seriously injury someone in a fall. OSHA requires businesses in the construction industry to provide fall protection gear to all workers working six feet above elevation, in the shipyards, the required height for protection is five feet. Approved fall protection gear may include lifting gear or slings.