When it comes to the workplace, your safety is the top priority. It’s especially important on industrial work sites to have the necessary knowledge to keep yourself and your coworkers safe at all times. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, uses a 3-step process to prevent hazardous conditions and keep employees protected at work, which are to plan, provide, and train.
The planning aspect involves being prepared for any possible safety hazards that may arise on a given work site. In order to be adequately prepared, the correct equipment must be provided. Just as importantly, knowledge of how to safely use that equipment must be obtained as well.
Employers must protect their workers by providing both fall protection and the correct equipment for the job at hand, including safety gear, scaffolding, ladders, and other types of equipment. For instance, wire rope slings are among the most durable types of slings and have a much higher temperature limit. There are many different types of slings, used for many different purposes, but because wire rope slings can withstand high heat, they are often used to lift hot materials. That being said, you must always be follow the recommendations of the manufacturer when using metallic-core wire rope slings above 400 degrees Fahrenheit or below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aside from equipment for the work site, fall protection equipment must be provided. Fall protection, or arrest, typically comes in two different forms: general fall arrest (such as safety nets), and personal fall arrest (such as lifelines or harnesses). Safety nets can be used to lessen the impact of a fall when working in environments with no temporary floors or scaffolds are used, and when the potential fall distance is more than 25 feet. Body harnesses are made to not tangle or slip, and provide both comfort and total safety.
Even with all the right equipment, safety training is paramount. OSHA fall protection training enables workers to recognize unsafe conditions and the hazards of falling, while teaching the procedures to follow in order to avoid these hazards. The fall protection system at a company must be thoroughly and regularly inspected, and employers must provide fall protection courses for employees. Once employees complete the OSHA fall protection training, they are deemed fall protection competent.
In order to stay safe in potentially hazardous workplaces, all safety measures must be followed. Keeping workers safe is imperative, and OSHA fall protection training plays a huge part in work site safety.