Fall Protection

Fall Protection

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. Every one of them is preventable.

The rule. Six feet in construction, four feet in general industry: above that, you are tied off, behind a guardrail, or on a net.

The system. Anchor (5,000 lb), body harness, lanyard or self-retracting lifeline, and a rescue plan — because a worker hanging in a harness has minutes before suspension trauma.

The traps. Unprotected edges, floor holes, ladders set wrong, scaffolds without rails, roofs in the rain, and the last ten minutes of the shift.

The trades. Roofer, ironworker, glazier, lineworker, wind technician, painter, telecom tower climber — and the crane operator who watches all of them.

The math. A 6-foot lanyard, a 6-foot worker and a 3.5-foot deceleration distance means an anchor lower than 18.5 feet above the ground will not save you. Do the sum before you clip.

Try it. The harness rig on the wall: put it on, adjust it, and be checked by a docent.