During the course of a normal work week, you can expect that your employees know, understand, and follow fall safety protocols. You’ve provided them with adequate safety training, tools, and equipment to keep them safe and productive. But what about the visitors that enter your facility? Contractors, vendors, OSHA inspectors, family members, and prospective employees may not be as well trained in, or aware of the potential fall dangers. It’s your responsibility to make sure that they not only stay safe themselves, but that they do not cause disruptions or distractions that may cause anyone else to get hurt.
Visitor Policies & Procedures
Documenting your company’s policies and procedures for facility guests and visitors will help eliminate many of the potential hazards. You may choose not to allow any visitors, beyond contractors, delivery people, and other vendors. When people are allowed in the facility, they should not only be restricted, but also monitored during their stay. Security personnel, supervisors, and employees should all be fully aware of the company’s visitor policy and procedures for approving guests.
Limit Facility Visitors
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to minimize the potential for a visitor to slip and fall in your facility is to limit their visits. Requiring anyone who is a non-employee to obtain authorization before their visit is one way. Restricting their movements within the facility to avoid the most dangerous areas is another. Keep in mind that employees who visit on their day off or on leave are also considered visitors and therefore must also be restricted when visiting.
Limit Area Access
The truth is, some areas of your facility are just not safe for guests and visitors, no matter how brief their visit is. Areas that contain hazardous chemicals, dangerous heavy equipment, falling objects, and high places without adequate fall protection are some examples of places visitors should not go. Limit your visitors’ movements within the facility to only those areas they absolutely must have access to. It is also wise to limit the days and times visitors are welcome.
Visitor Sign In![Dowload the Indoor Fall Safety Audit Guide]()
It’s imperative that visitors to your facility enter the building through a designated entrance. Require them to register on a visitor sign-in sheet with the time of entry, purpose of visit, and area they’ll be visiting. Upon leaving, the visitor should also be required to sign out. This lets supervisors and others know visitors are present. In case of emergency, the visitor can easily be located and removed from the facility per the facility’s emergency action plan.
Visitor Identification
Protecting visitors from potential hazards is easier when it’s clear they are guests, rather than workers. A visitor’s badge with highly-visible writing in contrasting colors is one of the best methods to accomplish this. When a visitor signs in, they should be given a numbered badge, and that number should be recorded on the sign-in sheet. When the visitor leaves, the badge should be returned to avoid any unauthorized access at a later date.
Visitor Safety Briefing
Before allowing visitors to proceed, it’s a good idea to brief them on the potential fall hazards they may encounter. Discuss the dangers that can be present on walkways, mezzanines, loading docks, stairways, and any other locations the visitor will have access to. These areas should already have fall protection devices in place such as industrial swing gates, loading dock safety railings, and safety gates. This is also the perfect time to explain which areas are strictly off-limits within the facility.
Visitor Supervision
Allowing visitors complete access to your facility without supervision is rarely a good idea. Not only are there potential slip and fall issues, but their presence can also cause disruptions and distractions to your workers. In highly dangerous facility situations, this could lead to serious injuries or worse. Assigning an individual to accompany the guest during their visit helps keep everyone safe and also helps protect your interests, procedures, and trade secrets.
Warning Signs
Visitors often do not realize the potentially dangerous situations within a facility and must be warned ahead of time. Signs posted throughout the facility, in highly visible writing with a contrasting background are a must. Warn visitors of any potential slip and fall hazards, from a wet floor to an elevated location. Warning signs on industrial swing gates, guardrails, and railings are also an effective way of highlighting high-risk areas.
Fall Safety Equipment
OSHA requires the use of fall safety devices such as industrial swing gates, guardrails for loading dock safety, and other passive fall protection measures. These requirements are in place to keep workers safe while on the job, but they’re also necessary to protect guests and visitors. In some cases, personal protection equipment such as a hard hat, a fall arrest device, a travel restraint, or a positioning system is necessary. If such devices are used, it is vital that the guest is adequately trained on their use during their visit.
Take Full Responsibility
No matter who enters your facility, you are responsible for their safety and well-being. If there is any possibility that they can slip, fall, or otherwise become injured, you must take proactive measures to protect them. You already make fall safety a top priority for your workers, it’s not much of a stretch to extend that protection to your visitors. Make it a company-wide initiative to create a safe environment for everyone and encourage workers to do the same.
Your facility is full of fall risks, both hidden and obvious. It’s up to you to do everything in your power to minimize or eliminate them. From slippery wet floors to loading dock safety to high-level walkways over machinery, it’s imperative that you follow OSHA guidelines for providing fall protection for both workers and visitors. Failure to do so could result in injuries, damage to equipment, and loss of productivity. What’s more, if an accident occurs due to your negligence, you’ll face hefty fines and penalties from OSHA. By making safety a priority, you eliminate potential risks and create a safe workplace for both your employees and anyone else who may visit.
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