Fall Prevention Program

Purpose
Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15% of all acci-
dental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. Active participation by
management, supervisors and employees is necessary to prevent hazardous conditions that could result
in slips, trips or falls.

Responsibilities
Management
 Conduct routine inspections to ensure all walking and working surfaces are free from slip, trip
and fall hazards.
 Conduct training for employees who use ladders, scaffolds or other elevated platforms
 Conduct training in use and inspection of fall prevention & arrest equipment
 Ensure proper ladders, scaffolds, and other elevated platforms as well as fall prevention & ar-
rest systems are used for specific tasks where it is necessary
 Provide adequate fall prevention & arrest equipment
Employees
 Maintain work areas free from slip, trip & fall hazards
 Correct or immediately report slip, trip and fall hazards
 Use proper ladders, scaffolds or other elevated platforms and fall prevention & arrest systems
in areas where it is required

Hazard Control
Engineering Controls
 Proper construction of elevated locations
 Use of hand, knee and toe rails where required
 Proper design of fixed ladders & stairs
 Proper design and placement of anchor points for fall prevention & arrest systems
 Adequate lighting in all areas
Administrative Controls
 Training for all employees who work at elevated location
 Routine inspections of ladders, stairs, walking and working surfaces and fall arrest systems
 Following Housekeeping Program requirements
 Immediate cleanup of material spills
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Housekeeping
Simple Housekeeping methods can prevent slip-trip-fall hazards:
 All work areas, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms shall be kept clean and orderly
and in a sanitary condition.
 The floor of every area shall be maintained in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition.
Where wet processes are used, drainage shall be maintained and gratings, mats, or raised plat-
forms shall be provided.
 Every floor, work area and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters,
holes, or loose boards.
Aisles and Passageways
 Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and in good repair with no obstruction across or in
aisles that could create a hazard.
 Permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked.
 Where mechanical handling equipment is used, aisles shall be sufficiently wide. Improper aisle
widths coupled with poor housekeeping and vehicle traffic can cause injury to employees,
damage the equipment and material, and can limit egress in emergencies.

Floor Loading Protection

Load rating limits shall be marked on plates and conspicuously posted. It shall be unlawful to place, or
cause, or permit to be placed, on any floor or roof of a building or other structure, a load greater than
that for which such floor or roof is approved.

Guarding Floor & Wall Openings

Floor openings and holes, wall openings and holes, and the open sides of platforms may create haz-
ards. People may fall through the openings or over the sides to the level below. Objects, such as tools
or parts, may fall through the holes and strike people or damage machinery on lower levels.

Protection for Floor Openings

Standard railings shall be provided on all exposed sides of a stairway opening, except at the stairway
entrance. For infrequently used stairways, where traffic across the opening prevents the use of a fixed
standard railing, the guard shall consist of a hinged floor opening cover of standard strength and con-
struction along with removable standard railings on all exposed sides, except at the stairway entrance.
A "standard railing" consists of top rail, mid rail, and posts, and shall have a vertical height of
42 inches nominal from the upper surface of top rail to floor, platform, runway, or ramp level.
Nominal height of mid rail is 21 inches. The top rail must be able to support at least 200
pounds applied in any outward or downward direction.
A "standard toeboard" is 4 inches nominal in vertical height, with not more than ¼-inch
clearance above floor level.
Floor openings may be covered rather than guarded with rails. When the floor opening cover is re-
moved, a temporary guardrail shall be in place, or an attendant shall be stationed at the opening to
warn personnel.
Every floor hole into which persons can accidentally walk shall be guarded by either:
1. A standard railing with toeboard, or
2. A floor hole cover of standard strength and construction.
While the cover is not in place, the floor hole shall be constantly attended by someone or shall be pro-
tected by a removable standard railing.

Protection of Open-Sided Floors, Platforms, and Runways

Every open-sided floor or platform 4 feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level shall be
guarded by a standard railing on all open sides, except where there is an entrance to a ramp, stairway,
or fixed ladder. The railing shall be provided with a toeboard wherever, beneath the open sides:
1. Persons can pass,
2. There is moving machinery, or
3. There is equipment with which falling materials could create a hazard.
Every runway shall be guarded by a standard railing, or the equivalent, on all sides 4 feet or more
above floor or ground level. Wherever tools, machine parts, or materials are likely to be used on the
runway, a toeboard shall also be provided on each exposed side.

Stairway Railings and Guards

Every flight of stairs with four or more risers shall have standard stair railings or standard handrails as
specified below. Stair width is measured clear of all obstructions except handrails.

1. On stairways less than 44 inches wide having both sides enclosed, at least one handrail shall be
affixed, preferably on the right side descending.
2. On stairways less than 44 inches wide with one open side, at least one stair rail shall be affixed
on the open side.
3. On stairways less than 44 inches wide having both sides open, two stair rails shall be provided,
one for each side.
4. On stairways more than 44 inches wide, but less than 88 inches, one handrail shall be provided
on each enclosed side and one stair rail on each open side.
5. On stairways 88 inches or more in width, one handrail shall be provided on each enclosed side,
one stair rail on each open side, and one intermediate stair rail placed approximately in the
middle of the stairs.
A "standard stair railing" (stair rail) shall be of construction similar to a standard railing, but the verti-
cal height shall be not more than 34 inches nor less than 30 inches from the upper surface of the top
rail to the surface of the tread in line with the face of the riser at the forward edge of the tread.
Fixed Industrial Stairs
Fixed Industrial Stairs shall be provided for access to and from places of work where operations neces-
sitate regular travel between levels. Requirements include:
1. Fixed industrial stairs shall be strong enough to carry five times the normal anticipated live
load.
2. At the very minimum, any fixed stairway shall be able to carry safely a moving concentrated
load of 1000 pounds.
3. All fixed stairways shall have a minimum width of 22 inches.
4. Fixed stairs shall be installed at angles to the horizontal of between 30o and 50o.
5. Vertical clearance above any stair tread to an overhead obstruction shall be at least 7 feet mea-
sured from the leading edge of the tread.

Portable Ladders
The chief hazard when using a ladder is falling. A poorly designed, maintained, or improperly used
ladder may collapse under the load placed upon it and cause the employee to fall.
A ladder is an appliance consisting of two side rails joined at regular intervals by crosspieces on which
a person may step to ascend or descend.
The various types of portable ladders include:
1. Stepladder - A self-supporting portable ladder, non-adjustable in length, having flat steps and
hinged back.
2. Single Ladder - A non self-supporting portable ladder, nonadjustable in length, consisting of
but one section. Its size is designed by overall length of the side rail.
3. Extension Ladder - A non self-supporting portable ladder adjustable in length.

[List the jobs and areas where ladders are to be used and which type of ladder should be
used for each job at your facility.]

Portable Ladder Requirements:

1. Portable stepladders longer than 20 feet shall not be used.
2. Stepladders shall be equipped with a metal spreader or locking device of sufficient size and
strength to securely hold the front and back sections in open position.
3. Single ladders longer than 30 feet shall not be used.
4. Extension ladders longer than 60 feet shall not be used.
5. Ladders shall be maintained in good condition at all times.
6. Ladders shall be inspected frequently and those which have developed defects shall be with-
drawn from service for repair or destruction and tagged or marked as "Dangerous, Do Not
Use."
Proper use of ladders is essential in preventing accidents. Even a good ladder can be a serious safety
hazard when used by workers in a dangerous way.
Portable Ladder Safety Precautions:
1. Ladders shall be placed with a secure footing, or they shall be lashed, or held in position.
2. Ladders used to gain access to a roof or other area shall extend at least 3 feet above the point of
support.
3. The foot of a ladder shall, where possible, be used at such a pitch that the horizontal distance
from the top support to the foot of the ladder is one-quarter of the working length of the ladder
(the length along the ladder between the foot and the support). See figure above.
4. The worker shall always face the ladder when climbing up or down.
5. Short ladders shall not be spliced together to make long ladders.
6. Ladders shall never be used in the horizontal position as scaffolds or work platforms.
7. The top of a regular stepladder shall not be used as a step.
8. Use both hands when climbing or descending ladders.
9. Metal ladders shall never be used near electrical equipment.

FIXED LADDERS
A fixed ladder is a ladder permanently attached to a structure, building or equipment. A point to re-
member is that fixed ladders, with a length of more than 20 feet to a maximum unbroken length of 30
feet shall be equipped with cages or a ladder safety device. A "cage" is a guard that is fastened to the
side rails of the fixed ladder or to the structure to encircle the climbing space of the ladder for the
safety of the person who must climb the ladder.
Cages shall extend a minimum of 42 inches above the top of a landing, unless other acceptable
protection is provided.
Cages shall extend down the ladder to a point not less than 7 feet nor more than 8 feet above
the base of the ladder.

Scaffolding Safety

________________________________ is the competent person at this facility, capable of identifying

existing and predictable hazards involving scaffolds and who has authority to take prompt corrective
measures to eliminate them. He will train and supervise the employees who will assemble, move, op-
erate, repair, disassemble, maintain and use the scaffold equipment.

[Llst the jobs where scaffolds will be used in your facility.]

1. The footing or anchorage for scaffolds shall be sound, rigid and capable of carrying the maxi-
mum intended load without settling or displacement. Unstable objects, such as barrels, boxes,
loose brick, or concrete blocks shall not be used to support scaffolds or planks.
2. Scaffolds and their components shall be capable of supporting at least four times the maximum
intended load.
 3. Scaffolds shall be maintained in a safe condition and shall not be altered or moved horizontally
while they are in use or occupied.
4. Damaged or weakened scaffolds shall be immediately repaired and shall not be used until re-
pairs have been completed.
5. A safe means must be provided to gain access to the working platform level through the use of
a ladder, ramp, etc.
6. Overhead protection must be provided for personnel on a scaffold exposed to overhead haz-
ards.
7. Guardrails, midrails, and toeboards must be installed on all open sides and ends of platforms
more than 10 feet above the ground or floor. Wire mesh must be installed between the toeboard
and the guardrail along the entire opening, where persons are required to work or pass under
the scaffolds.
8. Employees shall not work on scaffolds during storms or high winds or when covered with ice
or snow.
9. As noted earlier, there are a number of scaffold types, and 1910.28 should be reviewed care-
fully for special requirements that apply to each type.

MANUALLY PROPELLED MOBILE LADDER STANDS AND SCAF-

FOLDS (TOWERS)
1. All exposed surfaces of mobile ladder stands and scaffolds shall be free from sharp edges,
burrs, or other safety hazards.
2. The maximum work height shall not exceed four times the minimum base dimension unless
outriggers, guys or braces are added to provide stability.
3. This standard requires guardrails and toeboards for work levels 10 feet or more above the
ground or floor.
[List the specific areas in your facility where manually propelled mobile ladder stands or scaf-
folds will be used, and your procedures for each area to use the equipment safely.]

OTHER WORKING SURFACES

Portable dockboards (bridge plates) shall be secured in position, either by being anchored or equipped
with devices which will prevent their slipping. Movement of the dockboard during material handling
operations has resulted in forklifts overturning, or falling off the dock, often with serious injury or
death to the driver and damage to equipment and material.
[List the specific areas in your facility where other working surfaces could cause a fall hazard
and list the controls you will employ to make the area safe from the hazards.]

 Handholds shall be provided on portable dockboards to permit safe handling when the dock-
board must be repositioned or relocated.
 Portable dockboards shall be inspected prior to use.
 When not in use, portable dockboards will be stored in a manner to prevent damage.
FALL PREVENTION AND FALL ARREST SYSTEMS
Where employees are working 4 feet or more above an adjacent floor or ground level not guarded by a
standard railing on all open sides, a fall prevention or fall arrest system must be used.
[List the jobs and areas where a fall prevention or positioning system will be used in your fa-
cility ,and where fall arrest systems will be used, where the equipment will be kept, who is in
charge of inspecting it, and how training will be conducted at the facility (who will conduct
training, when will it be conducted, i.e. before employees are allowed to use the equipment).]

Fall Prevention or Positioning Systems

Fall prevention or positioning systems prevent the employee from falling off an elevated work area by
limiting their movement in such a way that they cannot reach the edge to fall off the working surface.
A fall prevention or positioning system must restrict an employee from falling more than 2 feet.

Employees may use a full body harness or a body belt as a positioning device. The full body harness
must have the connection point in the middle of the upper back. If a body belt is used, the connection
point must be in the center of the wearer’s back. In either case, approved connectors are required for
all connection points

Fall Arrest Systems

A fall arrest system catches an employee when they fall and restricts their fall to 6 feet or less.
Employees must be required to wear a full body harness with the connection point in the middle of the
upper back using approved connectors for all connection points.
 Lanyards and vertical lifelines must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.
 Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment must be independent of any
anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000
pounds per employee attached. Anchorage points for fall prevention or positioning systems
must be capable of supporting at least 3,000 pounds.
 Shock absorbing devices must be used to limit the arresting force on an employee to 1,800
pounds when used with a body harness.
 Lanyards and lifelines (including shock absorbing devices) must be rigged so an employee can
neither free fall more than 6 feet, nor contact any lower level.
 When employees enter a space vertically, the free end of the lifeline must be attached to a me-
chanical means of retrieval, and the anchor point for this device must be capable of supporting
at least 5,000 pounds.
 No part of the personal fall arrest system can be used to hoist materials.
 Personal fall arrest equipment must be inspected prior to use, and defective components must
be removed from service.
 Body harnesses, lanyards, lifelines and all connector equipment must be removed from service
after it has been involved in any fall. A competent person may inspect the equipment and de-
termine if the equipment is undamaged and can be returned to service.