For the safety of your employees and your business, you should be aware of the best practices and legislation that is in effect regarding fall protection. This is a topic that is easy to gloss over as you will likely have many experienced and qualified members of the team who know exactly what it is that they have to do on a daily basis. Complacency with regard to fall protection can be a real issue in the workplace and that is why it is very important that you are on top of fall protection on site so that you can avoid any accidents.
1. Planning well can save lives
Being able to provide all of your employees with the correct fall protection begins with proper planning. You will need to make sure that you have all of the equipment that you need to accommodate the number of employees that you have on-site on any day of the week. By planning ahead you will be able to take stock of the equipment that you have and notice where there are any pieces of equipment that are missing.
You also need to allow time for those who have not been trained in the latest fall protection equipment so that they know exactly what they’re doing. You should not have to rush through an explanation of how the fall protection systems work as you have not enough time in the day to do that and complete the schedule of tasks for the day.
2. Keep your ear to the ground
There are always new developments when it comes to fall protection legislation, best practices and technology. By setting aside some time to make sure that you are up to date with everything you will be giving your employees the confidence and the correct tools to get any job done safely and on schedule. You will also be protecting your business from any violations of the rules and regulations that govern fall protection.
3. Educate yourself about fall clearance
Fall clearance is something that you should be very familiar with. If not, now is the time to read up and make sure that you have a clear understanding of it. You may also need to take some time to update your employees and ensure that they fully understand this concept. After all, it could save their lives. Without the correct use of fall clearance your employees could be walking around at the wrong height with a false sense of security.
4. More planning ahead
So you have the fall protection systems in place, the harness and anchor point are all taken care of and you’re using the best and newest technology in the business. Your employees feel that their safety is well looked after.
5. Make fall protection comfortable
One of the major challenges when it comes to fall protection, especially at heights that do not appear to be too scary, is to get people to use them. If a fall protection system is uncomfortable then the likelihood of your employees wearing it when they believe they don’t need to is very small.
By taking advantage of the latest fall protection anchors and systems, your employees will be so comfortable in their fall protection harnesses that they will not think to removes them until they are done for the day.
6. Hold regular training and refresher courses
It’s very easy to take a shortcut when you’re working to a tight deadline. By holding regular training sessions and refreshers on the fall protection systems that you have in place you will keep the importance of fall protection systems top of mind for all of your employees.
