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The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting businesses of all sizes. Many job sites have had to shut down or significantly scale back production. Though challenging and stressful, it's unfortunately unavoidable. Smart business owners are taking advantage of this time to focus on moving their companies forward, preparing for the future, and taking care of things that never seemed to be a priority.
One way to do this is by reviewing and improving your rooftop fall protection plan and equipment. Not only will you ensure you’re up to speed and compliant with OSHA, but also be able to welcome your employees back to a safer, more productive environment.
According to OSHA, employers are required to:
The duty to have fall protection is covered in OSHA standard 1926.501, while other standards, including 1910.29 and 1926.502, outline the criteria for roof fall protection systems and other fall safety equipment. They explain when a compliant OSHA horizontal lifeline, guard railing, and other protective equipment is required on leading edges, stairways, holes and other openings in the roof, runways, hoist areas, and more.
Fall protection also includes the responsibility to protect employees from objects that may fall from heights. Workers on lower levels should be protected with hardhats, barricades that prevent them from entering a space where objects may fall, and/or a canopy to catch falling objects; furthermore, workers should "...keep potential fall objects far enough from the edge of the higher level so that those objects would not go over the edge if they were accidentally displaced." Toeboards, screens, or a guard railing may also be used to help prevent objects from falling.
Even businesses that are trying their best to comply with OSHA standards may miss hazards or mistakenly offer the wrong type of protective equipment for the job. This is why the shutdown offers an especially good opportunity to take extra time getting to know the standards and exploring your workplace to discover where you're doing well—and where you might need some improvement.
Review your safety plan, which should include a safety goal statement, a list of people responsible for safety management, your emergency response plan, employee safety training schedule and history, records and documents, hazard identification, and hazard control and safety practices. As part of that, you should do your own rooftop safety audit to look for the most common rooftop fall hazards:
Do you have rooftop fall protection in place to mitigate those risks?
This is also a good time to thoroughly examine your current roof fall protection systems and safety equipment for damage and replace anything that is not in working order. Purchase and install everything you need to stay compliant with OSHA regulations and ensure the safety of your team.
Employers must also provide personal protective equipment appropriate for the type of work being done, which may include rubber boots with steel toes, goggles, face shields, hearing protection, and more. Review the tasks performed on the roof and determine what PPE may be required.
To protect against the types of fall hazards mentioned above, you will need OSHA-compliant equipment:
It’s also smart to plan a safety training course as soon as your employees return to work. After several weeks away from the job site, a refresher may be in order and you will be able to train employees in the proper use and inspection of any new OSHA horizontal lifeline or guard railing systems you've installed since they left. Teach them to identify hazards and outline the protocol for reporting them.
Print out and hang the safety signage you need to include in the workplace and give your employees the information they need and deserve to protect themselves. OSHA offers a variety of printable safety resources that may be useful for you and your employees alike.
There's no reason to guess about your roof fall protection systems. When you work with a company who specializes in compliance, you can rest assured you have OSHA-approved guard railings, lifelines, and more. Not only will such equipment provide the level of security your employees require, it will also ensure you're not in violation of OSHA standards if you receive an inspection.
Think of us as your workplace safety partners as you move forward. You'll want to continue performing self-audits and equipment upgrades long after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. We're here for you now, and we'll be here for you then. For more information about OSHA-compliant roof fall protection systems, please contact us.