Falls in Construction/Leading Edge Work
More than 800 construction workers die
every year while on the job. Falls are the number one
cause of fatalities in construction. Falls cause one
of every three construction worker deaths.
These falls happen in a split second while workers are on
roofs, scaffolds, ladders, bridges, and other work surfaces.
But these deaths can be prevented.
The video you are about to see shows how quickly falls
at construction sites can lead to workers'deaths.
The video will also show what employers must do so that
the work can be done more safely.
Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace
and required protective equipment.
You'll see that using the right type of fall protection
saves lives.
Please be advised.
The scenes you are about to see deal with deaths
at construction sites and might be disturbing for some people.
All scenes are based on true stories.
Four workers were insulating the roof and applying the
top layer of sheet metal roof decking on a tall,
pre-engineered building.
The roof was fairly flat, there was no controlled
decking zone, and the workers were not wearing any
personal fall protection.
The workers were using drills to screw the metal sheets
into the purlins.
As one of the workers walked down the roof,
he lost his footing.
He fell through the space between the purlins,
and landed on the floor below.
He died the next day from his injuries.
Let's look at the events that led up to this tragic incident,
and see how it could have been prevented.
Originally, the workers had no fall protection,
which OSHA requires the employer to provide when
working at heights of 15 feet and above.
Let's look again at the workers installing the
metal roofing sheets and see what happens when
these workers use fall protection.
They are now using a temporary horizontal lifeline.
This involves a horizontal cable attached to two or more
anchor points on the roof.
In this system, the workers connect their harnesses
to a horizontal lifeline that is secured to the roof
structure instead of individual anchor points.
Again, as the worker loses his footing and falls
between the purlins, his lifeline stops him from
falling to the floor below.
While he is hanging from his fall arrest system,
a co-worker brings over a lift and rescues the worker.
This example shows the importance of employers following OSHA's
fall protection standards to ensure that workers are
provided with a safe workplace.
These types of construction deaths are preventable.
The fall protection measures shown here save workers' lives.
Use fall protection on the job:
it could be the difference between life and death.
If you would like more information,
contact OSHA at www.osha.gov
or 1-800-321-OSHA
that's 1-800-321-6742
