OSHA Proposes New Standards to Prevent Injuries From Falls
On May 24, 2010, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced proposed revisions to the rules governing fall protection standards. Falls are one of the most common work-related hazards. According to OSHA, falls are the most common cause of fatalities at construction sites and account for one of every three construction-related deaths.
I have seen first-hand the life-changing injuries that can be caused by easily preventable falls. They include a worker who suffered a disabling brain injury when he was required by his company to climb on stacked materials that shifted, causing him to fall to the concrete floor. They include two workers knocked from their elevated work platform by a moving crane. They include a worker who was required to move a scissors lift while extended despite an uneven surface below, resulting in the entire lift toppling to the ground. These disabling injuries (and many of the deaths and injuries from falls) could easily be prevented through either the provision of proper equipment or proper job planning. Instead, the employers in each of these falls neglected to provide the proper equipment or to plan for potential hazards. In fact, if employers would simply conduct an activity hazard analysis before performing a specific job for the first time, most hazards could easily be identified and prevented.
According to OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels:
I plan to review the new proposal carefully. Hopefully, it will provide some of the clear and simple safeguards needed to protect workers from fall hazards in the workplace.
