Do you know the in’s-and-out’s of fall protection? If you’re ever visited by an OSHA inspector, and an employee is at risk of a fall injury, you’d better.
For almost 10 years now, fall protection has been at the top of the list. What are the others? They’re not as obscure as you might think.
The list, via Safety+Health Magazine, is something every leader — safety or otherwise — needs to take a moment to think about in their own operational environments:
- Fall Protection – General Requirements (29 CFR §1926.501)*: 6,010 violations
- Hazard Communication (29 CFR §1910.1200)*: 3,671
- Scaffolding (29 CFR §1926.451)*: 2,813
- Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR §1910.147)*: 2,606
- Respiratory Protection (29 CFR §1910.134)*: 2,450
- Ladders (29 CFR §1926.1053)*: 2,345
- Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR §1910.178)*: 2,093
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements (29 CFR §1926.503)*: 1,773
- Machine Guarding (29 CFR §1910.212)*: 1,743
- Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR §1926.102)*: 1,411
* CFR citation references elongated for clarity.
All of the items on this list are seemingly ‘easy’ stuff, right? After all, LOTO (lock-out/tag-out) is as basic as it gets, right? Apparently not. Take the time to review your safety — and training — programs and (most importantly) watch out for what is happening on your jobsites.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about fines, it’s about the men and women who run your business and making sure they are able to do so. At the end of the day, it’s always about people — your people. Take care of them so they can take care of your customers.
