1. FHM TRAINING TOOLS
This training presentation is part of FHM’s commitment to creating and keeping safe workplaces.
Be sure to check out all the training programs that are specific to your industry.

2. Fall Protection for Construction
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
This presentation has been specifically developed to promote understanding of fall protection for the construction industry
Please make sure you are comfortable and able to concentrate as we work our way through this presentation.

3. Learning Objectives At the end of this course you will:
Have knowledge and skills needed for fall hazards
Plan and work safely when hazards are present
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
We have very specific learning objectives for you during this presentation:
The content of this course was designed to provide employees with the information required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s standard for Fall Protection in Construction which is found in the Code of Federal Regulations as Title 29 Part 1926 Subpart M.
Our objective is to give you the information you need to recognize and understand fall hazards, as well as the work procedures necessary to perform work safely when working at heights. 3

4. Agenda Today’s agenda: Overview Fall protection strategies
Types of equipment for fall arrest systems
Your responsibilities
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Our presentation today will involve the following agenda:
Section One will be an overview of the topic of fall protection.
Section Two will discuss various fall protection strategies that can be utilized to minimize the hazard.
Section Three will review the types of equipment used in personal fall arrest systems.
Section Four will discuss your responsibilities. 4

5. Section 1
Overview
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Section 1 will be an overview of Fall Protection in Construction. 5

6. The Hazards of Working at Heights
Frequently cited OSHA provisions are failure to:
Protect workers from falls of 6 feet or more
Protect workers from falling into floor openings
Provide guardrails
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Everyone is familiar with the hazards of working at heights.
Even so, an average of 300 fatal falls occur each year in this country.
In fact, falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry.
Fall protection is also a frequently cited OSHA violation on construction projects. The three most frequently cited provisions of the fall protection standards are:
Failure to protect workers from falls of 6 feet or more off unprotected sides or edges, such as floors and roofs.
Failure to protect workers from falling into or through holes and openings in floors and walls, and
Failure to provide guardrails on runways and ramps where workers are exposed to falls of 6 feet or more to a lower level. 6

7. The Hazards of Working at Heights
Hazards causing most fall-related injuries:
Unprotected sides, wall openings, and floor holes
Improper scaffold construction
Unguarded protruding steel rebar
Misuse of portable ladders
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
The following hazards cause the most fall-related injuries:
Unprotected sides, wall openings, and floor holes.
Improper scaffold construction.
Unguarded protruding steel rebar.
Misuse of portable ladders. 7

8. Employee Training Training is required in the following areas:
The nature of fall hazards
Correct procedures for fall protection systems
Use and operation of protection devices
Roles in safety monitoring and fall protection plan
Limitation of equipment
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Your employer is required to provide a training program for each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards. The program shall enable each employee to recognize the hazards of falling and shall train each employee in the procedures to be followed in order to minimize these hazards.
The employer shall assure that each employee has been trained, as necessary, by a competent person qualified in the following areas:
The nature of fall hazards in the work area.
The correct procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling, and inspecting the fall protection systems to be used.
The use and operation of guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems, safety net systems, warning line systems, safety monitoring systems, controlled access zones, and other protection to be used.
The role of each employee in the safety monitoring system when this system is used.
The limitations on the use of mechanical equipment during the performance of roofing work on low-sloped roofs.
The role of employees in fall protection plans. 8

9. Employee Training Refresher training is required if there are:
Changes in the workplace
Changes in the types of fall protection systems
Inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
When the employer has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the necessary understanding and skill to perform this work safety, the employer shall retrain each such employee.
Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to, situations where:
Changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete; or
Changes in the types of fall protection systems or equipment to be used render previous training obsolete; or
Inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge or use of fall protection systems or equipment indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill. 9

10. Control Measures Control measures used to for serious hazards:
Perform work at ground level
Restrain worker so they can not reach the edge
Use aerial lifts
Use control line and personal fall arrest systems
Cover holes as they are created
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
There are some very effective control measures that can be used to control the serious hazards associated with working at heights. The control measures that deserve consideration on a job involving fall hazards include the following:
Determine if any of the work (even a small portion) can be performed at ground level or if a crane can be used to lift assembled portions (e.g., sections of roofing) into place, eliminating or reducing the number of workers exposed to falling.
Tether or restrain the worker so he or she cannot reach the edge thereby eliminating the fall hazard.
Consider the use of aerial lifts or elevated platforms to provide better working surfaces rather than walking top plates or beams.
Erect guardrail systems, warning lines, or control line systems to protect workers from falls off the edges of floors and roofs.
Place covers over holes as soon as they are created if no work is being done at the hole.
Use safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems (body harness).
In general, it is better to use fall prevention systems, such as guardrails, than fall arrest systems, such as safety nets or fall arrest devices, because they provide more positive safety protection. 10

11. Fall Protection Strategies
Section 2
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
In Section 2, we will review fall protection strategies.
Fall Protection Strategies 11

12. Fall Protection Strategies
Fall Protection Strategies include:
Guardrails
Safety nets
Personal fall arrest systems
Warning lines
Controlled access zones
Safety monitoring
Covers
Fall protection plans
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
When people think of fall protection, they typically think of a harness and lanyard. However, there are many other types of fall protection strategies.
These fall protection strategies must be employed when there is risk of falling 6 feet or more to the next lowest work surface.
The fall protection strategies include:
Guardrails
Safety nets
Personal fall arrest systems
Warning lines
Controlled access zones
Safety monitoring
Covers, and
Fall protection plans.
Let’s take a closer look at each one of these strategies. 12

13. Guardrail Systems A barrier to prevent employee falls to lower levels:
Specific requirements:
Height of top rails shall be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above walking or working level
Withstand force of at least 200 pounds
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
The first fall protection strategy we will discuss are guardrail systems. A guardrail system is a barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels. There are specific requirements for guardrails. For example, the top edge height of a top rail needs to be 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the working level and it must be capable of withstanding, without failure, a force of at least 200 pounds.
There are other requirements for midrails, screens, mesh, intermediate vertical members, and equivalent intermediate structures which must be followed to construct an OSHA-compliant guardrail system. These requirements are numerous, and must be followed by the person designing the guardrail system. To give you a feel for these requirements, consider the following examples:
Midrails must be installed between the top edge and the walking/working surface when there is no wall or other structure at least 21 inches high.
Screens and mesh must extend from the top rail to the walking/working level, and along the entire opening between rail supports.
Intermediate members (such as balasters) between posts must be no more than 19 inches apart.
Midrails, screens, mesh, and other intermediate members must be capable of withstanding at least 150 pounds of force applied in any direction at any point along the midrail or other member.
As you can see, the construction of a sturdy guardrail system takes more effort than just nailing some 2 by 4’s together. Let’s move on to our next strategy. 13

14. Safety Net Safety nets must have: Border rope for webbing
Minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds
Installations must be tested:
After initial installation or major repair
Before being used
Whenever relocated
At 6-month intervals if left in one place
Inspected for deterioration at least once weekly
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Safety nets are the second strategy we will discuss. Each safety net, or section thereof, must have a border rope for webbing with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds. Safety nets shall be installed as close as practicable under the walking/working surface on which employees are working, but in no case more than 30 feet below such level. When installed under bridges the potential fall area from the walking/working surface to the net shall be unobstructed.
Safety nets must extend outward from the outermost projection of the work surface a sufficient distance to catch a person falling from that work surface. This distance is a function of how far below the work surface the net is installed. For example, if the net is installed up to 5 feet below the work surface, the net must extend 8 feet outward from the work surface. For 5 to 10 feet, extend 10 feet. More than 10 feet below the work surface must extend 13 feet outwards.
Safety nets must be installed with sufficient clearance to prevent contact with the surface or structures under them when subjected to an impact force.
Safety nets and safety net installations must be drop-tested at the jobsite:
After initial installation and before being used,
Whenever relocated,
After major repair, and
At 6-month intervals if left in one place. The drop test consists of a 400 pound bag of sand inches in diameter dropped into the net from the highest surface at which employees are exposed to fall hazards, but not from less than 42 inches above that level.
Safety nets must be inspected for wear, damage, and other deterioration at least once a week, and after any occurrence which could affect the integrity of the system. Defective nets shall not be used, and defective components must be removed from service. 14

15. Personal Fall Arrest System
Personal fall arrest systems:
Stops employee falls from working levels
Limit maximum arresting force to 1,800 lbs
Be rigged
Complete stop and limit maximum deceleration
Strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
A personal fall arrest system is a system used to stop the fall of an employee who has fallen from a working level.
It consists of an anchorage, connectors, body harness, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or a suitable combination.
A personal fall arrest system must, when stopping a fall:
Limit maximum arresting force to 1,800 pounds.
Be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet nor contact any lower level.
Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance to 3½ feet.
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. 15

16. Warning Line System Roof barrier warning of side or edge
Warning lines shall consist of:
Ropes
Wires
Chains
Supporting stanchions
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
A simple, yet effective fall protection strategy is called a warning line system.
A warning line system is a barrier erected on a roof to warn employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or edge.
Warning lines shall consist of ropes, wires, or chains and supporting stanchions. 16

17. Controlled Access Zones
Controlled access zone is permitted only in:
Overhand brick laying and related work
Fall Protection Plan for leading edge work
Controlled access zone should be as follows:
Consist of ropes, wires, tapes, or equivalent and supporting stanchions
Flagged
Rigged and supported
Minimum breaking strength of 200 pounds
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
The use of a controlled access zone is permitted only in overhand brick laying and related work, and as part of a Fall Protection Plan for leading edge work; precast concrete work; or residential construction work.
When allowed, a controlled access zone must be constructed as follows:
Control lines shall consist of ropes, wires, tapes, or equivalent materials and supporting stanchions.
Each line shall be flagged or otherwise clearly marked at not more than 6-foot intervals with high visibility material.
Each line shall be rigged and supported in such a way that its lowest point (including sag) is not less than 39 inches from the walking/working surface and its highest point is not more than 45 inches from the walking/working surface.
Each line shall have a minimum breaking strength of 200 pounds.
On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are not in place prior to the beginning of overhand bricklaying operations, controlled access zones shall be enlarged, as necessary, to enclose all points of access, material handling areas, and storage areas. On floors and roofs where guardrail systems are in place, but need to be removed to allow overhand bricklaying work or leading edge work to take place, only that portion of the guardrail necessary to accomplish that day's work shall be removed. 17

18. Safety Monitoring Safety monitoring permitted when:
Employees are engaged in low slope roofing work
Workers are covered by written fall protection plan
Employer designated competent person must:
Be able to recognize hazards
Monitor working or walking surfaces
Visual sight and communication
Can not be distracted duties
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
The safety monitoring strategy is only permitted in a situation where employees are engaged in low slope roofing work or are covered by a written fall protection plan.
Under this type of system, the employer designates a competent person to monitor employees. This person must be:
Able to recognize fall hazards, and
Positioned on the same walking/working surface as those being monitored.
He must be within a visual sighting distance of those employees and close enough to communicate orally with employees.
The safety monitor cannot be assigned duties that could distract his attention from his monitoring duties. 18

19. Covers Covers protect employees from falls through holes:
Holes covered
Sites surveyed before working
Continually audit as work continues
Support two times the weight of employees
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
A very important strategy for many work areas is to protect employees from falls through holes in floors, roofs, and other walking/working surfaces.
Holes should be covered or guarded as soon as they are created during new construction.
OSHA defines a hole as a gap or void 2 inches or more in its least dimension in a floor, roof, or other walking surface.
For existing structures, the site should be surveyed before working and continually audit as work continues.
All floor hole covers should be designed so they will effectively support two times the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may be imposed on the cover at any one time. 19

20. Fall Protection Plan Written fall protection plan must state:
Why conventional fall protection systems cannot be used where the fall hazard is present
Measures taken to reduce or eliminate fall hazard where conventional fall protection systems cannot be used
An example fall protection plan is provided in the OSHA fall protection standard
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
OSHA permits an employer who determines that the fall protection strategies we just reviewed cannot be used at a particular worksite to perform the work under a written fall protection plan.
In these situations, the reason why the use of conventional fall protection systems (guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems) are infeasible or why their use creates a greater hazard must be documented.
Employers must explain in writing, before work begins, why fall protection systems cannot be used at the specific location where the fall hazard is present.
An example fall protection plan is provided in the OSHA fall protection standard.
The written fall protection plan must state the measures that the employer will take to reduce or eliminate the fall hazard in work areas where conventional fall protection systems cannot be used. For example, if safety monitoring systems and control zone systems are going to be used, the written plan must so state. The employer must comply with all of the provisions described in the fall protection plan as alternative measures. It is not acceptable for employers to list "nothing" or "no measures to be taken" as the alternative measure. At the very minimum, the safety monitoring system must be employed. 20

21. Personal Fall Arrest Equipment
Section 3
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
In Section 3, we will discuss personal fall arrest equipment.
Personal Fall Arrest Equipment 21

22. Equipment Use, Care, and Maintenance
Equipment used:
Body harness
Vertical lifeline or lanyard
Horizontal lifeline
Webbing
Connectors
Anchorages
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Moving on to Section Three, we will be taking a closer look at the use, care, and maintenance of equipment used for personal fall arrest systems.
Equipment used for personal fall arrest systems typically includes:
The body harness
Vertical lifelines or lanyards
Horizontal lifelines
Webbing
Connectors
And anchorages 22

23. Body Harness Body harnesses are designed to: Minimize stress forces
Provides freedom of movement
Minimize force on the body in falls
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Body harnesses are designed to minimize stress forces on an employee's body in the event of a fall, while providing sufficient freedom of movement to allow work to be performed. Body harnesses are not to be used to hoist materials.
As of January 1, 1998, body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system, because they impose a danger of internal injuries when stopping a fall.
The attachment of the body harness must be located in the center of the wearer's back, near the shoulder level, or above the head. 23

24. Vertical Lifeline or Lanyard
Vertical lifeline or lanyard must have:
Strength of 5,000 lbs or more
Protected from being cut or abraded
Separate vertical lifeline for each employee
Self-retracting vertical lifelines have minimum strength of 3,000 lbs
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Vertical lifelines or lanyards must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds, and be protected against being cut or abraded.
Each employee must be attached to a separate vertical lifeline.
Self-retracting vertical lifelines and lanyards that automatically limit free fall distance to 2 feet or less must be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 3,000 pounds when in the fully extended position. 24

25. Horizontal Lifeline Horizontal lifelines:
Designed, installed, and used under supervision
Complete personal fall arrest system
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Horizontal lifelines are to be designed, installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person, and as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two.
On suspended scaffolds or similar working platforms with horizontal lifelines that may become vertical lifelines, the devices used to connect to a horizontal lifeline must be capable of locking in both directions on the lifeline. 25

26. Webbing Ropes and straps used in: Lifelines Lanyards
Body harness strength component
Made from synthetic fibers
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Webbing is the term used to refer to the ropes and straps used in lifelines, lanyards, and strength components of body harnesses.
The webbing must be made from synthetic fibers, not natural fiber such as cotton, manilla, or leather. 26

27. Connectors
Made of drop-forged, pressed or formed steel, or equivalent material:
Rings and Snap hooks
Minimum tensile strength of 5,000 lbs
Unless designed for it, do not engage to:
Webbing, rope, or wire
Each other
D-ring
Horizontal lifeline
incompatibly shaped object
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Connectors, including rings and snap hooks, must be made from drop-forged, pressed or formed steel, or equivalent materials. They must have a corrosion-resistant finish, with smooth surfaces and edges to prevent damage to connecting parts of the system. Connectors should not have any red rust present on their surface, although white scale is acceptable. Rings, such as D-rings, O-rings, and oval rings, must have a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds, and be proof-tested to a minimum tensile load of 3,600 pounds without cracking, breaking, or becoming permanently deformed.
Snaphooks must have a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds, and be proof-tested to a minimum tensile load of 3,600 pounds without cracking, breaking, or becoming permanently deformed. They must also be locking-type, double-locking, designed, and used to prevent the disengagement of the snaphook by the contact of the snaphook keeper with the connected member.
Unless it is designed for the following connections, snaphooks must not be engaged:
Directly to webbing, rope, or wire.
To each other.
To a D-ring to which another snaphook or other connector is attached.
To a horizontal lifeline.
To any object which is incompatibly shaped in relation to the snaphook such that the connected object could depress the snaphook keeper and release itself. 27

28. Anchorages Used in attachment of personal fall arrest equipment:
Must be independent of anchorage
Supports at least 5,000 lbs
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
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.
Or, must be designed and used as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two and used under the supervision of a qualified person. 28

29. Your Responsibilities
Section 4
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
In Section 4, we will review your responsibilities.
Your Responsibilities 29

30. Your Responsibilities
Recognize fall hazards in the workplace
Utilize fall protection strategies
Use personal fall arrest systems equipment
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Let’s wrap up this program by reviewing your responsibilities under the fall protection program.
In the interest of your safety and the safety of your coworkers, recognize fall hazards in the workplace.
Understand the fall protection strategies utilized in the workplace.
Inspect, wear, and store personal fall arrest systems equipment in accordance with your training. 30

31. Additional Information
Additional Resources:
Stairways and Ladders: A Guide to OSHA Rules. OSHA Publication 3124, (2003)
Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings. NIOSH Publication No , (1989, December)
Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction. STD [STD 3-0.1A], (1999, June18)
Recommended Facilitator Notes: (read the following text out-loud to participants while showing this slide)
Here are some sources of additional information on the topic. Please consult them to continue your learning on this topic. 31