Ihab Saad – Fall protection Part 1
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Music. Welcome to another safety class, and today we're going to
talk about one of the very important issues in safety, which
is fall protection, as we have mentioned before. OSHA right now
focuses on four areas that cause most of the injuries and the
fatalities in the construction industry, and these four, which
are called the focus four areas, are fault protection,
electrocution, caught in between and struck by so we have initially
talked about caught in between, and that can be something related
to excavation, for example, cave ins of trenches and things like
that. So today we're going to talk on about fault protection, which
is subpart m of our code.
Just having a look at this picture here, for example, we see some
labors standing on some scaffolding at a relatively high
level, so it's definitely above six feet from the ground. They are
not protected in any way from falling. So if any one of them
falls, there might be an injury or even a fatality if they fall on
their heads or things like that. So this is definitely a fault
hazard, and it causes a violation. And as you can see, we have three
employees working in this area, so that's three violations at the
same time.
So the workers could fall while climbing on the shoring structure
to set it up and remove it, ladders and lifts must be provided
in addition to fall protection, as we're going to discuss it in a
minute.
Here's another example, a carpenter working on some
formwork, and he's getting close to an open edge, open end, and he
doesn't have any
fault protection,
protective equipment. So again, and we have, we can see also the
power cable around him
for his drill. And if he trips on that cable, he might fall. And
again, that's probably at the second floor level, so there might
be an injury here as well.
So workers must be protected from falls over six feet. That's one of
the magic numbers that we're going to learn about in this lecture.
And workers are exposed to a fall hazard greater than six feet while
working near stairwell opening, so that open edge that they
definitely need to be protected.
A third example here, also under residential construction. Here we
have someone working on the second level floor with an open edge
around them, and it doesn't seem that they have any fault
protection whatsoever. So here, again, unprotected, open sided
floor six feet or more above ground level, there should be a
guardrail system and safety net system for personal fall arrest
system, or for a personal fall arrest system, or PFAs,
any one of these would be required to stop the fall in case that
person falls from that location.
This is definitely, obviously, again, a violation here working at
a relatively high level. We're talking here about at least 20
feet from the ground and no protection whatsoever. They're
working on a sloped roof open edge. So definitely workers are
installing new metal roof without fault protection. So again,
obviously there's a there's a problem here. We can see there's a
ladder in the background, and it seems that the ladder is fine.
It's extending three feet beyond the or above the landing area. I'm
not sure whether it's tied in here or not, and whether it's resting
on a flat surface or not. But again, the ladder seems okay, but
obviously we have a problem with fault protection, or the lack of
fault protection devices.
Another example here we have, again, obviously there's no one
working in the area, but we have what seems to be a guardrail, but
there's no mid rail.
So again, that can be a fall hazard. So the photo shows,
this is the floor. Actually, this is not the main trail. Shows a
guardrail and toolbar, yeah, a midriel and a tool board are
missing on an open sided floor of the building. This could expose
workers to a 12 foot
tall fall
and two boards are required to protect workers below from falling
objects again, if someone something falls from this level
on, the workers below that can also cause an injury.
Same thing here, working on a platform, working on a scaffold
above six feet.
It no fault protection whatsoever, and even this set of blocks,
again, some of it may fall and injure people standing underneath
this scaffold.
So lack of fault protection for workers on fabricated frame
scaffolds, planks appear to be overloaded, and there's no safe
access for workers. The workers are exposed to a 35 foot fall
hazard from scaffold while stacking bluffs prior to overhand
brick laying operations.
Another example here we're having a ladder leading to something like
a walkway that's not very well fortified or reinforced. No,
definitely, these tapes are not going to be resisting a 200 pound
force as is required for the guardrails. And someone to access
this level, they have to step on that top of the ladder, which
should not be used whatsoever, the ladder should extend three feet
above or beyond the landing surface. So several violations
here.
So the ladder to work platform is not of sufficient length. It must
extend three feet above the working surface,
another one
standing on the top of the ladder, which should not Do above six
feet. No fault protection.
Here again,
more than six feet. No guardrails for the window, no fault
protection devices for this person, no hard hat for this one
here at the bottom, several problems.
So workgroups working from a carpenter scaffold that has no
guardrails, extends too far beyond either end is not wide enough.
Worker does not have proper access to the scaffold. How did he get
there? Just by jumping or climbing from the window. The worker inside
of the window is not provided with fault protection. There is no
standard guardrail, and the worker working below is exposed to the
struck by hazards of tools and equipment falling from the
employees. Working above is not wearing a hard hat.
Another example here, although this one seems to be wearing some
sort of fall protection device, maybe that's a hardness, but this
one is not open edge above six feet, no guardrails.
Rambo
is working on that sloped roof. Again, that rope cannot be
considered a fog protection device, God knows how, how high
above the ground that is. This is definitely not a hard hat.
Another example here as well, walking on that walkway, no guard
trails.
This is definitely above six feet.
So all of these were examples of fall protection violations. All of
these lead can lead to falls which lead to injuries or fatalities. So
these are some of the appendices that are associated with this
subpart. Appendix A, determining roof widths. Appendix B, talking
about guardrail systems. Appendix C, talking about personal fall
arrest systems or PFAs. Appendix D, talking about positioning
device systems which cannot be used as fault protection, for
fault protection and Appendix E, small for sample fault protection
plans, because, again, we should have a plan that's observed and
maintained by a competent person
some fatal facts about falls. The falls are the leading cause of
death. Falls have been and continue to be the leading cause
of death in construction in 2010 for example, based on statistics
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we had 370
people killed on construction sites
resulting from falls.
Most fatalities occur when the employees fall from open sided
floors and through floor openings. This is very dangerous. We have
several hazards here. We have a hazard of impalement because of
these rebars. Pro.
From the slabs like that. So if that person falls on the rebar,
they can penetrate their chest and kill them. This is an open end.
Obviously. He's standing beyond the guardrail, which does not have
a midrail. So several violations here, he does not have any fall
protection devices. Do
a falls from as little as four to six feet can cause serious, lost
time, accidents and sometimes death, if that person falls on his
or her head that can cause death, or if they fall on an arm or a
shoulder or something like that, that can cause some injury. So
guards are required at six feet. Remember that number? That's the
magic number for working on an elevated platform, open sided
floors and platforms six feet, six feet or more in height, must be
guarded. And we're going to talk about the shape of the guardrail.
We talked about it briefly when we were talking about stairways and
ladders, but we're going to discuss it in more detail in this
lecture,
some of the most frequently cited violations related to lack of fall
protection measures, 501 b1, unprotected size and edges. We had
16 152 violations. 501 B, 13, fault protection, residential
construction six feet or more lack of that fault protection, 1090
violations, 501503
A, one, fall hazards training program, the lack of a training
program, 730 450, 1b 10. Fall Protection, roofing work on low
slow proof, 501 violations. And 501 B, 11, fault protection on
steep proofs, 289
violations.
So subpart M covers all fall hazards except those which are
covered in other subparts, including subpart L, scaffolds.
We're going to discuss that later. Subpart R, steel erection, subpart
V, electrical transmission, subpart N, cranes and derricks,
subpart s, underground construction and subpart X,
stairways and ladders, which we have discussed in a previous
lecture,
the fault protection locations covered by subpart M, which is
what we're discussing right now, are unprotected sides and edges,
open edges, leading edges, hoist areas, holes in floors, if you're
gonna have a hole for a stairway or an elevator shaft, or some a
pipe bank or something like that, for work and reinforcing steel
wall openings, if you have a window or a Door, precast concrete
eruption and dangerous equipment, something like a man lift or a
scissor lift, where an employee stands on an elevated platform to
make some usually electrical work or utility work.
It also covers ramps, runways and other walkways, roofs, we define a
steep roof as having a slope greater than four to 12,
and a low slope roof as having a slope less than four to 12, rise
over run. The Four is a rise and the 12 is a run.
Protection from falling object is going to be covered in subpart M,
overhand bricklaying, one of the areas that cause many problems
with fall protection, excavations, pits, wells and shafts, and
finally, walking and working surfaces not otherwise addressed
by any of the previous categories. So now.
So in this presentation, we're going to learn when is fault
protection required, and we're going to talk about the four main
methods of fault protection which might be included as part of the
PPE, person protective equipment or other safety devices, like the
safety nets, for example, which are not PPE but still a fault
protection net.
So when is fault protection needed, it's needed on all of
these on walkways and ramps, open sides and edges, holes, concrete
forms and rebar excavations, roofs, whether there's slow, low
slope or high slope,
wall openings, brick laying and residential construction.
So when we talk about walkways and ramps, the issue here is twofold.
One is the person falling from the walkway or the elevated ramp, or.
Have tools or equipment falling from that and injuring people
standing underneath that ramp or at the lower level. So we have to
guard the ramps and the runways and other walkways. To guard them
using a guard rail like this one, for example, which has a top rail
and a mid rail, and it should also have a tool board at the bottom.
So the top rail we mentioned before, it should be at about 42
inches plus or minus three inches, and the mid rail is going to be at
the mid height between the top Trail and the floor.
We're going to need fault protection in residential
construction, you must be protected if you can fall more
than six feet. So obviously, this is on the second level, so, or at
least the second level. So there's a height at least here of six
feet. We don't have a guard drill here, so there's that's a
violation
on unprotected edges, again, if it's above six feet, unprotected
size and edge, sides and edges must have guardrails or
equivalent. This one does not so again, this is a violation.
Obviously. This is definitely not a guardrail. This cannot be
considered a guardrail. It does not resist 200 feet. It does not
have a mid rail, it does not have a tool board, so this quarter of
inch nylon rope alone is not a proper way to guard this open
floor. And imagine the height here. We're talking about probably
a 10th floor height, or something like that. So definitely a fall
from here will definitely result in a fatality
skylights and other openings in roofs. Again, obviously, that's a
falling hazard, so holes more than six feet above lower level must be
protected. This opening could be made safe by using a guardrail or
a stronger cover to protect from falling.
Here we have another hole. Again, it might be for pipes or might be
for other purposes, but the hood is not properly covered, so you
have to cover completely and securely. If no cover, you have to
guard with guard drills. So these are the two options to protect
against faults in this hole.
What when working on concrete forms and around rebar, to place
rebar or to work on concrete work use PFAs, which is the personal
fall arrest system when working on for work or rebar cover or cap
protruding rebar, so the rebar itself has to be capped to prevent
the hazard of impalement. If someone falls on the edge of the
rebar that might penetrate through their chest or their midsection
and can cause severe injury or even can kill them,
guard excavations more than six feet deep again, we see the six
foot number repeating over and over again when they are not
readily seen because of plant growth or other visual barriers.
In addition to needing guarding, this excavation is not properly
shored. Obviously, these two by fours probably are not a proper
shoring device. We do not have any excavation boxes. We do not have a
proper sloping or banking, and this does not appear to be rock.
So definitely, it has to have better
protection against giving in as well.
If you work on roofs and you can fall more than six feet, you must
be protected. So here we have definitely above six feet. So it
seems that we have a PFAs here, whether it's properly tight or
not. It doesn't appear from the picture, but that might be okay if
it's properly tied.
Here we are at the second level, or maybe even the third level. We
have a wall opening for a future window or door, probably a window,
and it's not properly guarded with a guardrail. So if you work near
wall opening six feet or more above lower levels, you must be
protected from falling.
So duty to have fall protection is required at six feet or greater
protection to be at six feet or greater above work or walk
surfaces, and you have to inspect the work surface. Walk or work
surface is to be inspected prior to work commencing, to make sure,
for example, there's no slippery material or something that cause
trips and so on.
Work surface strength, again, if you're going to be working on a
the cover of a hole, for example, if that's going to be a working
surface, then you make you have to make sure that it's not going to
break under the weight of the employee and any tools or
equipment used by that employee.
Three so employees can only be on any surface strong enough to
adequately support them without failure.
When we talk about fault protection options, here, we have,
for example, three different examples, the PFAs, the personal
fault arrest system, which is what we're going to call the harness,
we're going to discuss all of its details in a few minutes. The
guardrails, which we mentioned, consists of three parts, the top
rail, the mid rail, and the tool board. And we mentioned that these
that should resist a force of at least 200 pounds. And in case we
cannot use the guardrails or the PFAs, there could be a safety net,
like the one that you see in the circus, for example, again, that's
going to soften the fall and it's going to prevent the person from
reaching the ground at the high speed, which usually is the cause
for injuries and fatalities.
For fall protection planning, fall protection systems and work
practices must be in place before you start work, so we're not gonna
start worrying about fault protection after we have already
started. You have to plan it in advance. Where are you going to
provide your anchor points? For example, if, in case, we use the
PFAs, where are you going to locate your safety net, and how
far from the edge, and so on and so forth. We're going to talk
about some specifications and some details in this lecture.
So here we have the lanyards and the PFA, as in use, which is a
good practice. These are going to be tied to a point that can stop
the fall of that person.
Here we don't have any protection. Obviously, we have someone working
near an opening, no guard trail, no PFAs, no hard hat, even same
thing here. So that's really dangerous.
Now look at this picture, this picture I took from from my office
at another place several years ago, and it shows here some
labor resting, one of them resting, observing or whatever,
and one is working on top of a roof. Now, how high is that roof?
Of course, here that's a low pitched roof, so low slope,
but there's no fault protection whatsoever. Now to give you the
full picture,
that was the height where they were working. So this is a three
story building. Obviously, I was taking this picture from a my
office was on the third floor, and
that's, that's probably even so that would be probably the fourth
floor, and that's the fifth floor level, so any fall from that
height would definitely be fatal.
And as you can see, we have a group enjoying the sun and
discussing about this roof and the installation of the gutter and so
on. So all of that is definitely a violation,
so duty to have fall protection at leading edge. Each employee
constructing a leading edge six feet or more above lower levels
must be protected from falls by guardrail systems, safety nets, or
personal fall arrest PFAs, personal fall arrest system. This
does not apply to subpart R steel erection. We're going to talk
about that later on.
The the fourth method is going to be an alternate plan to these
three, which is a very well developed plan that's if you can
prove that the guardrail is going to impede the work, or that the
safety net is going to be impractical in this case, or the
personal arrest system can cause some encumbrance to the people
working and lower their production rate and so on. If you can come up
with another plan, which is a safety plan, if the employer can
demonstrate infeasibility or greater hazard, then a fall plan
must be developed. And the burden of proof in this in this case, is
going to be on the employer, first of all, to prove that the first
three methods cannot be used or are going to be more hazardous to
use, and then to come up with a successful plan as an alternative.
So for precast erection. Each employee engage in erection of
precast concrete. Members six feet or more above lower levels again,
must be protected from the falls using one of the three suggested
methods, the guardrail system, the safety net, or the PFAs.
Again, if none of these three can work successfully, then the burden
of proof is on the employer to come up with the alternative plan.
Here we have precast concrete.
It seems we have here.
I'm not exactly sure whether this is a PFAs or not. It seems.
Of a person. So this is not proper.
This is an open hole. It's not protected.
And again, the cover here, although it's marked as hole and
everything, but it's plywood and it's damaged, so it definitely
will not withstand twice the weight, or twice the load it
should be imposed on top of
it, same thing here.
So this should be definitely replaced
here. The cover does not
cover the whole area, so this is not going to work.
So let's pause here, and then we're going to resume this lecture
in another file, so that it wouldn't be too big of the file.
We're going to start talking about PFAs, which is the personal fault
protection protection system, personal fault arrest system. And
then we're going to talk about the safety nets, and we're going to
talk about the different zones on a roof, for example, and talk
about the program, the training program for fall protection. I'll
see you in the continuation of this lecture. You.