When manufacturing safety regulations come to mind, you might first think of uniquely hazardous equipment and materials in your facility: chemicals, cutting tools, and heavy-duty machinery. However, day-to-day slip and fall hazards often present a much bigger and more invisible threat to the safety of your on-site workers and staff. Don’t let OSHA fall protection workflows and practices fade into the background. Instead, focus on the four biggest fall risks in most industrial sites: stairways, mezzanines, loading docks, and ladders.
There are two main objectives that every facilities management team should keep in mind to ensure manufacturing safety: significantly reducing the risk of harm while minimizing production impact and complying with OSHA guidelines; these two objectives often overlap, but it’s important to regard both separately. To begin making improvements, we recommend assessing your current processes, identifying unresolved dangers and any gaps in OSHA compliance, and then steadily adopting new practices or investing in OSHA fall protection to close up those identified gaps. Start with the four main hazards.
Stairways
To remain compliant with OSHA guidelines, such as the fall guidelines set under OSHA 1910.28, your facilities must have adequate fall protection systems for any work conducted four feet or more above the floor level. This applies to staircases, and you must have protections in place against falling sideways, falling backward, and even falling through the stairs.
Opt for permanent forms of protection, such as stair rails and reinforced steps, as well as egress stair barrier gates or other protections that heighten safety without impairing productivity.
The Biggest Fall Hazards Workers Face on Stairways
Some of the biggest hazards workers face on industrial stairways include the following:
- Tripping on the next step if it has an inconsistent height
- Not having adequate headroom at the next level or floor, especially if they’re carrying large loads
- Steps that can’t support the weight of people and loads, making them feel weak, loose, or unsteady
- Falling off the side and to the ground below
- Accidentally stumbling onto the stairs if they’re walking or standing near the stairs
Some of these dangers may already be accounted for in the initial construction of your buildings. For example, due to OSHA 1926.1052, stair heights and angles must meet strict requirements. However, some hazards can only be addressed by supplemental equipment. To protect workers from tripping on or near stairs, consider installing egress stair barrier gates.
Egress stair barrier gates block the upper entrance of stairways so people cannot accidentally back up or step sideways into the stair area without meaning to. These gates are self-closing and require deliberate opening, reducing accidental trips and falls. OSHA also stipulates their ideal features, including their height (approximately 42″), load capacity, and clearance considerations.
You can also identify stairways with brightly colored contrast tape and keep stairs well-lit.
Mezzanines
Mezzanines, or intermediate floors, are common manufacturing safety features in industrial spaces. They can be storage areas, elevated pathways between the edges of a warehouse, and work floors. But because they have open edges, they can present a significant danger if not properly managed.
The Biggest Fall Hazards Workers Face on Mezzanines
Some of the biggest fall hazards associated with mezzanine structures are:
- Falling off the sides of a mezzanine, either onto the floor below or the stairway
- Tripping into the stairway
- Not seeing the edges of the floor
How to Address These Mezzanine Dangers and Comply with OSHA Regulations
Your site can address these hazards with proper safety gear during both initial construction and ongoing operations. There are two key components to focus on:
Guardrails
Install guardrails that comply with OSHA guidelines. The rails should have a height of approximately 42″ or more. A toeplate also significantly reduces trips, stumbles, and drops.
Next, focus on gates—and you’ll need different gates for different layouts. Safety gates can stand between stairways and the mezzanine floor or between loading zones (drop zones) that meet the mezzanine floor. Ultimately, your gates should create a solid barrier so no edge of the platform is uncovered. Explore different gate options, from standard self-closing options to full-coverage gates based on your facility’s needs.
Additional forms of protection include excellent lighting, signage, and clear marking of edges with paint or tape. These measures are often required visual cues, but they are not sufficient OSHA fall protection on their own.
Loading Docks
Before you can start protecting workers around loading docks, you need to know how high they are. OSHA’s stringent fall protection guidelines apply to loading docks that are 48 inches high or more. But loading docks aren’t just dangerous because of the height. They’re also busy areas with a lot of people, cargo, and dangerous machinery moving on short deadlines.
The Biggest Fall Hazards Workers Face on Loading Docks
When loading dock doors are closed, there are far fewer safety hazards. But they will frequently be open to load and unload materials. They may also stay open to provide ventilation—while this is often recommended against, it’s better to account for it than to assume it doesn’t happen. Key hazards to focus on are:
- Stumbles and falls over the open edge of the dock while distracted
- Equipment pushing people toward the edge
- Hectic activity very close to the edge
- Spilled chemicals and rainwater that make the platform slick
- Sub-standard platforms and ramps
- Unbalanced forklifts that can topple over the edge during operation
Create proactive processes that address these concerns through a combination of OSHA fall protection and safety markings. Clear the loading dock area and paint the floor to demarcate a danger zone around it, and keep the area brightly lit so people can see spills and obstructions. Also, maintain clear pathways around it so you minimize obstacles and traffic jams on the floor.
Next, invest in the right equipment. Have wide stainless steel ramps ready to use when trucks don’t exactly align with loading dock heights. In addition, install barriers like a safety gate that physically blocks the edge of the open dock. If you have a metal gate with the right height and strength characteristics, your team can keep the door open with much greater peace of mind.
Ladders
Warehouses and manufacturing facilities also have several ladders, which can present unique dangers for workers. You may have ladders for tall equipment that needs frequent maintenance, ladders for roof access, and so on. Unlike the other dangers, ladders don’t just require physical barriers—harnesses also will play a key role in your safety strategy.
The Biggest Fall Hazards Workers Face on Ladders
Consider these hazards:
- Losing grip or footing on the ladder
- Tripping or falling into the ladder opening from above
Facilities managers should start by addressing the area around the ladders. Clearly mark the top and the bottom, surround the top opening with a ladder swing gate that prevents workers from accidentally stepping through, and keep the area around the ladder clear of equipment, obstructions, and slick liquids. But it’s just as important to guarantee the safety of people intentionally climbing the ladder. Make sure the ladder stays in excellent condition and can support well above likely weights.
In addition to a ladder swing gate, consider installing other equipment like stop cables and safety harnesses for comfortable climbing.
Make Your Manufacturing Facilities Safer with Fabenco Safety Gates
The more you assess, revise, and strengthen your safety programs, the safer your workers are and the better your organization becomes. At Fabenco, a part of Tractel, we provide OSHA-compliant fall protection gear and equipment from ladder swing gate solutions to stair gates and more to help your workers stay safe. Contact our team to tell us what’s missing from your current safety programs, and we’ll help you find the right gates, harnesses, and railings for the job.
