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Safety management
Published in Lincoln H. Forbes, Syed M. Ahmed, Lean Project Delivery and Integrated Practices in Modern Construction, 2020
Lincoln H. Forbes, Syed M. Ahmed
The clearest example of design professionals’ influence on safety is in the design of a parapet wall. The International Building Code paragraph 704.11.1 requires that a parapet wall be at least 30 inches high. OSHA 1926 Subpart M requires a 42-inch guardrail or other fall protection when working at elevated heights. This means that if the parapet wall were designed to be between 30 inches and 42-inches high, a temporary guardrail at a height of 42 inches or other fall protection would have to be used during construction and future roof maintenance. A decision would have to be made at the site concerning fall protection. This leaves open the possibility of an injury if fall protection is inadequate, workers are not trained, or if fall protection is not used at all. However, if the designer specifies a 42-inch high parapet wall, not only does the design comply with the building code (safe for the public), but the risk of a fall injury during the lifetime of the structure is eliminated because fall protection would not be required.
Safety and Health Considerations
Published in Frank R. Spellman, Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater, 2017
Fall protection is the series of steps taken to cause reasonable elimination or control of the injurious effects of an unintentional fall while accessing or working (Ellis, 1988, p. xvi): Fall hazard distance begins and is measured from the level of a workstation on which a worker must initially step and where a fall hazard exists. It ends with the greatest distance of possible continuous fall, including steps, openings, projections, roofs, and direction of the fall (interior or exterior). Protection is required to keep workers from striking objects and to avoid pendulum swings, crushing and impact with any part of the body to which injury could occur. The object of elevated fall protection is to convert the hazard to a slip or minor fall at the very worst—a fall from which hopefully no injury occurs.
Construction Management
Published in Abdul Razzak Rumane, Handbook of Construction Management, 2016
Falls alone constitute one-third of all construction fatalities in the United States [8]. Categories include falls from roofs, scaffolding, ladders, equipment, and through openings. Though falls occur in a multitude of ways, and they are all preventable. A national campaign in the United States sponsored by a consortium of construction stakeholders and safety advocates [9] emphasized the ability to prevent falls using the theme outlined in the safety management framework from a previous section. Properly trained workers with fall protection systems in place should never become fall fatalities. Common fall protection systems include guardrails, safety nets, and body harnesses. A typical body harness is shown in Figure 7.92.
Validation of the energy balance approach for design of vertical lifeline systems
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2021
Wen Cong Lim, Shazed Mohammad Tashrif, Yang Miang Goh, Soo Jin Adrian Koh
Work at height is almost unavoidable in industries such as the construction industry. Construction workers working at height must be protected by fall protection systems such as barricades, safety nets or personal fall arrest systems (PFASs). The minimum height requirement beyond which fall protection becomes mandatory for workers varies between different jurisdictions and countries. For example, in the USA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires fall protection systems to be used when the work is conducted 1.83 m (6 feet) above the lower level [5]. In Singapore, hazardous work at height is defined as work that can result in a fall distance of 3 m or more [6]. In contrast, the UK Work At Height (WAH) Regulations [7] do not stipulate a specific height or fall distance before work is defined as work at height, instead any fall that is liable to cause injury is classified as work at height. Barricades and safety nets are usually preferred because they are passive fall protection measures that do not require the active participation of its users. However, they are not always feasible due to space constraints in workplaces like construction sites. In cases where deployment of barricades and safety nets are not feasible, a PFAS will be required.
Occupational falls: interventions for fall detection, prevention and safety promotion
Published in Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 2021
Sachini N. K. Kodithuwakku Arachchige, Harish Chander, Adam C. Knight, Reuben F. Burch V, Daniel W. Carruth
Providing PPE such as helmets, safety belts, safety nets, and harnesses are known to have a well-known association in preventing and minimizing the consequences following a fall (Bell et al. 2008). Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends providing guardrails and toe-boards when the workers are working near a dangerous environment (eg: conveyor belt, heavy machinery, acid/base containers) regardless of the height (OSHA. 2007). When they are not near a specific dangerous environment, OSHA recommends providing fall protection for the workers who are working above four feet in general workplaces, above five feet in shipyards, and above six feet in construction (OSHA. 2007). When considering PPE in fall prevention, auditory protective gear plays an additional role. As many industrial areas are noisy, it can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss to the workers. Due to the surrounding noise or the acquired hearing loss, the workers may not hear a warning alarm, or a verbal command dispersed to indicate a potential hazard. Therefore, OSHA recommends wearing hearing protection in all environments with a noise of 85 Decibels or more (OSHA. 2007). The most important aspect following the introduction of any preventative method is the continuous inspection of the system. Regular assessment for effectiveness, performing intermittent spot checks, and proper maintenance of the fall protection systems should continually be done by the safety managers or ergonomists.
Improving the prevention of fall from height on construction sites through the combination of technologies
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2022
María del Carmen Rey-Merchán, Jesús M. Gómez-de-Gabriel, Juan-Antonio Fernández-Madrigal, Antonio López-Arquillos
In the USA, employers are allowed to use any or all of the three fall protection systems (safety nets, guardrails or personal arrest system) according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules. In other countries, this is more strictly regulated. In China, e.g., it is stipulated that employees working at a height of 2 m or higher must use fall arrest equipment in every case. Unfortunately, in spite of these legal requirements, workers often do not use a harness properly because of discomfort, restriction of movements or low risk perception.