Fall from heights


Problem:

Workers who fit and nail exterior walls and roof sheathing may fall from heights.  Falls from heights include worker falls to a lower level which result in injury on impact against an object or the ground.


Risk Description:

Workers working above ground level may pose a safety hazard and be at risk of falling from heights.  The result of such fall can potentially cause fractures, sprains, strains, contusions, severe damage to internal organs and even death.


Assessment Info:

Assessment of fall hazards should be an integral part of the site safety planning process.  For example, for a given construction work activity consider the: 1) height at where the task will be done, 2) time spent above the ground level, 3) slope of the work platform, 4) guarding of the platform edges and 5) surface of the work platform.

A team of safety experts from Washington University developed an auditing tool entitled "St. Louis Audit of Fall Risks" and an associated protocol for assessing fall hazards in residential construction.

 

Select Solution:

Engineering control

Administrative control

Personal Protective Equipment