When people report to work each day, they expect to go home in the same physical condition as they arrived. As an employer, you’re responsible for providing your team with a safe work environment. They can’t be expected to do their best work if you present them with hazardous situation and hope they’ll make the best of it. Not only is this wrong — it’s illegal.

Understanding Occupational Health and Safety

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has a number of measures in place to protect your workers from on-the-job falls. Some of these include:

  • Walking/Working Surfaces: You’re required to ensure all walking/working surfaces have the strength and structural integrity to safely support your employees. Workers are only permitted to work on surfaces determined to be sturdy enough to hold their weight.
  • Unprotected Sides and Edges: Do you have an unprotected side or edge that is at least six feet above a lower level? If so, you need to install a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest system.
  • Hoist Areas: Every employee in a hoist area must be protected from falling six feet or more by a guardrail system or a personal fall arrest system. “If guardrail systems or portions thereof, are removed to facilitate the hoisting operation, and an employee must lean through the access opening or out over the edge of the access opening, that employee shall be protected from fall hazards by a personal fall arrest system,” OSHA states.
  • Holes: Team members working/walking on surfaces higher than six feet must be protected from falling through holes by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around any holes.

Remember, your workers are your most important assets. You may need to invest a little extra time, money and effort to keep them safe, but they’re worth it. Show your team how much you value them by making safety a top priority — not just because you’re legally required to do so — but because it’s important to you.

For more information on protecting your workers from falls, visit OHSA.gov.

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