Injuries and Illness

Don’t Slip Up on Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention

By Chris Kilbourne Oct 24, 2011 Injuries and Illness

Updated: Oct 24, 2011

Yesterday, we covered some key controls for preventing workplace slips, trips, and falls. Today, we continue with additional measures to consider when developing an effective fall prevention plan.

Falls from heights, such as employees falling into pits and other openings or through wall or floor openings or holes, can result in serious injuries. Every year hundreds of employees across the nation die as a result of workplace falls.

Consider these issues to prevent potentially fatal falls.

Covers and Guardrails

All open pits, tanks, vats, ditches, and other openings that expose workers to fall hazards should be covered or protected with guardrails.
If guardrails are used at unprotected sides or edges of ramps and runways, they should be erected on each unprotected side or edge.

Floor and Wall Openings

Floor openings should be guarded by a cover, a guardrail, or equivalent on all sides (except at stairways or ladder entrances).
Skylight floor openings and holes should be guarded by a standard skylight screen or a fixed standard railing on all exposed sides. Skylight screens should be able to withstand a load of at least 200 pounds.
Hatchways and chute floor openings should be guarded by a hinged floor opening cover or a removable railing with toeboard.

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Grates or similar-type covers over floor openings such as floor drains should be designed to allow unimpeded foot traffic or rolling equipment.
Unused portions of service pits and pits not in use should be either covered or protected by guardrails or equivalent.

Floor Holes

When a floor hole is not in use, it should be covered.
When holes are used for the passage of materials, the hole should have not more than two sides with removable guardrail sections.

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