How to Avoid Falls on the Worksite

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Angela Gallagher, APR
Nehlsen Communications
Office 309-736-1071
Cell 563-299-2533
[email protected]
How to Avoid Falls on the Worksite
CHICAGO (June 4, 2012) – Fall hazards on worksites continue to be a deadly proposition for
the construction trades. 2010 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in spite
construction fatalities dramatically decreasing in the last five years, falls at worksites today
result in death more than one-third of the time. (Preliminary data for 2011 is scheduled to be
released by the bureau in September 2012.)
“We continue to advocate managing risk and creating safer workplaces by offering education
and tools for the worksite,” says Stephen Lamb, Executive Vice President of Mechanical
Contractors Association Chicago (MCA Chicago). “We are presently mailing safety kits to our
member companies reminding them to remain diligent when it comes to safety on a worksite.”
MCA Chicago reminds all mechanical contractors and pipefitters that fall hazards can be
minimized by keeping these tips in mind:
Reduce risk at the site
 Protect all floor and roof openings with guardrails, or cover with solid planking or plywood
that is clearly marked “HOLE”
 Provide permanent or temporary stairs in buildings under construction as soon as possible.
Cinder blocks do not count as stairs into a building or a trailer
Use Guardrails for fall protection
 Provide guard rails on all work areas — scaffolds, platforms and floor edges
 Cross braces are not part of a guardrail system and don't provide adequate fall protection
Using Fall Arrest Systems Safely
 Ensure that personal fall arrest systems will, when stopping a fall:
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Limit maximum arresting force to 1,800 pounds
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Be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet nor
contact any lower level
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Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance
to 3½ feet
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Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of a
worker free falling a distance of 6 feet, or the free fall distance permitted by the
system, whichever is less
-more-
MCA CHICAGO AVOID FALLS ON WORKSITE – 2
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Remove systems and components from service immediately if they have been subjected to
fall impact, until inspected by a competent person and deemed undamaged and suitable for
use
Promptly rescue employees in the event of a fall, or assure that they are able to rescue
themselves
Inspect systems before each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and remove
defective components from service
Do not attach fall arrest systems to guardrail systems or hoists
Rig fall arrest systems to allow movement of the worker only as far as the edge of the
walking/working surface, when used at hoist areas
Ladders
 Don't use ladders, buckets, boxes, planks or other materials to extend your reach
 Don’t lean out too far over the top-rails when they are in place and never step up on the midrail
 Discard defective ladders with broken or missing rungs and use ladders that are high
enough for the job
 Straight ladders should be tied off and extend 3 ½ feet above the work level being used
 All ladders should have non-slip shoes or should be cleated in place
Scaffolding
 Use scaffold only on firm level surfaces and make sure scaffold pieces are held together
with pigtails, toggle pins, or bolts and nuts. Never attempt to use a scaffold held together
with wire, welding rods or any other substitutes
 Never climb up or down on the braces of a scaffold, use a ladder for access. If the scaffold
does not have a built in access ladder, secure a ladder to the scaffold
 Avoid riding on the scaffold when it is being moved from one location to another
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About MCA Chicago:
Mechanical Contractors Association Chicago promotes the highest caliber of worker at all levels of the
union mechanical contracting industry by advancing safety and education. MCA Chicago represents 60
member companies who work with the highly qualified pipefitters and service technicians of Pipefitters
Local Union 597. Together, they install and service heating and air conditioning; and install piping
wherever it's needed – from power generation, to oil refineries, to pharmaceuticals, and food processing
plants. For more information, visit www.mca.org.