OSHA’s fall protection standard was the No. 1 most-frequently cited agency standard in fiscal year 2019. Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths. Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.

Scaffolding was the third most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019.

ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 is a standard that consists of design, testing, performance and labeling requirements for tool tethering systems and containers used to transport and secure tools and equipment at heights. 

ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 is a standard that consists of design, testing, performance and labeling requirements for tool tethering systems and containers used to transport and secure tools and equipment at heights.

Imagine that on the first day at your new job, the foreman tosses you a harness and a 6-foot lanyard and says, “Be careful out there!” That may seem like an extreme example of a woefully inadequate fall protection training program, but I will bet dollars to donuts it happens more often than we think.

Imagine working 20 feet above the ground. Now imagine working on top of a roof over 50 feet off the ground. And now think about being 50 stories in the air while building a skyscraper. Fall protection equipment is an essential component of your safety.

Preventing falls from heights when performing construction work is a top priority because falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, there were 366 fatal falls to a lower level out of 971 construction fatalities.

Gravity doesn’t need to go to school. She is a master at pulling all objects toward the center of our blue planet and has been doing so since the dawn of time. So, yep, she is the grand master. Whereas we mere mortals are still learning how to counter her effects.