In many industries, such as the construction industry, falls are one of the top reasons for injuries and fatalities every year. They’re one of the main risks that workers face, whether they are working on roofs, ladders, scaffolding systems or other hazardous areas.
There are three main types of fall protection systems that can be used to mitigate this risk. They are as follows.
Fall arrest
A fall arrest system is designed to catch a worker after a fall. These are often used when it’s impossible to prevent the fall from happening. For instance, a worker wearing a rope and harness could fall from a roof, but the rope will catch them before they strike the ground.
Fall prevention
On the other side of the coin, a fall prevention system does try to make the fall completely impossible. An example of this would be tall guard rails that workers cannot fall over, preventing them from reaching a dangerous edge. Fall prevention systems are excellent because they can prevent many injuries, but they’re simply not feasible in some settings.
Travel restraint
Finally, some workers will use travel restraint systems, which just limit where they can move. For instance, a worker may be secured to a roof by a harness and a line, but the length of that line has been measured so that the worker cannot walk to the edge of the roof.
All of these systems can be very helpful, but workplace accidents still do occur and falls are one of the main reasons why workers get injured. Those who have been hurt need to know about all the legal options at their disposal.
