Fall Protection Continues to be OSHA’s #1 Most Frequently Cited Standard in 2022
Fall Protection violations on worksites across the United States have been more common than any other violation. Fall Protection has continuously stayed in the number one spot for what OSHA issues fines for when they visit work sites.
Also, fall protection has been ranked in the number one lead for the most fatal incident type across the United States for years in a row. Fall Protection training is so important for every worker who has a line of work involving heights more than six feet off the ground. From residential to commercial, to even the industrial and manufacturing industries, proper fall protection training needs to be taken much more seriously here in America.
Many blue collar American workers never have the thoughts of going to work and not coming home one day to their loved ones and family. Their loved ones and families would like to think that it would never happen, until it does. Even if a worker doesn’t die on a work site, many times they are at least going to suffer major long-term injuries from a lack of fall protection safety practices. It only takes one incident that is a few seconds or short minutes to completely change someone’s life in a more difficult way.
When there are incidents of injuries or deaths from the lack of fall protection safety within blue collar organizations, so much more consequences follow the company. For example, there’s a much higher risk of lawsuits, hundreds of thousands of dollars in OSHA Fines, and potentially organizations getting shut down all together from the millions lost in a settlement or lawsuit.
It is very important to immerse yourself in knowledge on what specific types of fall protection training classes would be right for you or your employees. There are four hour fall protection awareness classes that teach the basics of fall protection safety and how to properly use a body harness. Then, there’s 8 hour competent fall protection training classes available for workers who more regularly work in heights and need a deeper understanding of fall protection safety procedures. Finally, there is a 24 hour fall protection training class available for blue collar companies that is typically a three day training for a more comprehensive approach that aligns with their specific line of work the best.
If you’re not sure exactly what types of fall protection training you or your employees will need, we suggest that you speak with a safety professional about it. This will help you have peace of mind in knowing that you’re picking the proper training that aligns with your line of work if OSHA does happen to step ground on your work site.
So, you’re probably wondering, who exactly needs fall protection training anyway? What types of workers qualify for fall protection training requirements under OSHA regulations and standards? Let’s dive into it…
Any worker that has tasks in the environment or surroundings involving six or more feet in height is required to complete legitimate fall protection training by a certified trainer or instructor in the USA. While six feet doesn’t seem like a big deal, it is. And, six feet or more in height can look different across many companies. Here’s some examples of what those heights could look like that workers are involved with:
Roofs
Ladders
Scaffolding
Wells
Pits
Aerial Lifts
Boom Lifts
Man Lifts
Scissor Lifts
Shafts
Wind Turbines, wind turbine technicians
Power Lines
Gas Tanks, Oil Tanks, Petroleum Tanks
Construction structures such as bridges or tunnels
Glaziers
Lighting Technicians
Commercial Electricians
Cell Phone Towers
Tower Technicians. Cell Tower Climbers, Cell Tower Technicians
Steel Workers
Firefighter
Tree Trimmer
Lumberjack workers
Firefighters
Commercial Window Cleaners
Commercial Painters and Residential Painters
Construction Subcontractors
General Contractors for residential and commercial
Scaffolders
Solar installers, solar technicians, solar contractors for residential and commercial
