Every commercial facility is as unique as the organization that occupies it. While no two industrial buildings are completely alike, most take advantage of vertical space. While this is a great way to increase usable space, it means employees are working or walking on surfaces that expose them to a potential fall to the lower level. Protecting the main fall protection risks including stairs, loading docks, mezzanines, and machine guarding is essential. From guardrail systems to mezzanine gates and loading dock safety gates, all your fall protection equipment must be OSHA-compliant to provide optimal fall protection and so you avoid costly penalties and fines.
Top Four Fall Protection Risks in Industrial Facilities
If you perform a safety inspection in your facility, it’s likely that you’ll find four main areas to be the biggest concerns regarding fall protection. In most industrial facilities, the main fall protection risks include stairways, elevated work surfaces, loading docks, and machinery.
- Stairways – It’s important for employees to access different levels of the building and stairways are the most obvious solution. However, traversing stairs can be dangerous for distracted or hurried employees. Keeping stairways clean and well-lit, installing OSHA-compliant handrails and safety gates, and applying high-contrast warning strips on stair edges can help keep workers safe on stairs, but they may not go far enough.
- Loading Docks – Observe a typical day on your loading docks and it will soon become apparent that it’s organized chaos. It can be easy for a worker to lose track of where they are in relation to the edge of a loading dock, or to misjudge safe spaces between trucks and docks. Warning lights, alarms, high-contrast paint, guardrails and gates all make loading docks safer, but again, it’s not quite enough.
- Elevated Work Surfaces – Mezzanines are the ideal way to maximize space and productivity. In fact, mezzanine use can enable your facility to nearly double the usable space in your facility for storage or production. They’re also one of the biggest fall hazards your workers face. A safety gate system should be installed to protect fall from the edges of a mezzanine. Safety systems also protect people and equipment below from falling objects.
- Dangerous Machines – Industrial machinery can pose a significant danger to employees who are walking or working near or above it. To ensure that workers don’t accidentally get too close to a dangerous piece of equipment, it needs to be segregated and the perimeter must be well defined. This can be accomplished with a guardrail system and self-closing safety gate.
Fall Protection Gate and Railing Solutions to Mitigate Fall Hazards
Per OSHA 1910.28, you have a duty to provide fall protection for your employees who work on elevated surfaces 4′ or more above a previous level. OSHA does not, however, define exactly what form of fall protection you must use. That’s something you need to determine for yourself based on your facility. However, the easiest and most dependable fall protection solutions to install and use include safety gates and guardrails:
- Swing Gates for Stairs – Accessing mezzanines, catwalks, and other elevated surfaces inside your industrial facility often requires workers to climb stairs. Protecting access to the stairway with self-closing swing gates for stairs helps ensure employees slow down before ascending or descending the stairway and take note of the environment. Swing gates also restrict access to stairways that lead to dangerous or sensitive areas, ensuring security and safety for personnel.
- Loading Dock Safety Gates – With trucks coming and going, forklifts moving about, and an abundance of foot traffic, loading docks are busy places. Keeping employees safe while working on loading docks means incorporating fall protection such as loading dock gates. Designed to protect loading dock entrances while the door is open, loading dock safety gates provide OSHA-compliant fall protection while also allowing for fresh air to circulate into a facility. In addition, loading dock gates operate hands-free so the gate never gets accidentally left open.
- Mezzanine Gates – Taking advantage of vertical space in your facility makes sense. That increased square footage doesn’t come without costs, however. Any surface that employees walk or work on that’s 4′ or more above a lower level needs adequate fall protection. Guardrails and mezzanine gates are effective ways to protect your elevated surfaces. Mezzanine gates also help ensure only authorized personnel enter sensitive spaces of your building where you protect your trade secrets.
- Modular Guardrails for Machine Guarding – Production equipment and machinery can be extremely dangerous. Many times, equipment is loud, has exposed mechanisms, generates extreme heat, or presents other hazards. Maintaining a safe distance from these machines is vital for worker’s safety. Modular guardrails help keep workers safe by preventing unauthorized access to sensitive or dangerous equipment. As with standard safety railings, modular guardrails can be used for equipment and machine guarding permanently. However, they are also endlessly reconfigurable.
OSHA Expectations for Safety Gates and Guardrails
The suggestions above are the most commonly applied solutions for the fall risks mentioned and are the most recommended as well. If you’re using safety gates or modular guardrails, they must meet standards set forth in OSHA 1910.29:
- Guardrails and safety gates must be at least 42″ tall (plus or minus 3″) measured at the top rail.
- When downward force of 200 lbs. is applied to the top rail, it cannot fail or deflect to less than 39″.
- If 150 lbs. downward or outward force is applied to a mid rail, it must be able to handle it without failure.
- The surface of a guardrail must be smooth so as not to snag or scratch a worker’s skin or clothing.
OSHA-Compliant Safety Gates and Guardrail Systems from Fabenco
When it comes to fall protection, you cannot leave anything to chance. It is vital that you do everything you can to eliminate or mitigate fall hazards in your facility. From modular guardrails to mezzanine gates, loading dock safety gates, and swing gates for stairs, Fabenco is the industry leader in OSHA-compliant fall protection equipment. Contact us today and one of our highly trained, safety experts will be happy to discuss your fall protection needs.
