Safety continues to be a major concern in the industrial cleaning field around the country. Hydroblasting workers — a growing segment of this workforce — face a multitude of hazards on the job daily. With the pressure reaction of turning the water stream on and off, possible surges in the hose line and crews working on raised platforms, one important area of concern for employers and safety managers is fall protection.
Safe work practices and ongoing training are crucial when protecting water-jetting workers from devastating falls. By knowing what equipment is needed on the job site, providing that equipment to the crew and training them how to properly use it, employers can help prevent injuries and deaths.
The first step is to identify fall hazards and decide how to provide the best protection. Analyzing the work area may include reviewing blueprints before work begins, anticipating upcoming fall hazards as work progresses, looking at current hazards and preparing a pre-planning checklist.
There are many ways to protect your workers from falls, including using guardrail systems, safety net systems and personal fall arrest systems (PFASs).
Know your ABCs
The basics of every PFAS are commonly described as the ABCs of fall arrest:
- A: Anchorage — A secure point of attachment (structure) for the fall arrest system.
- B: Body support — Full-body harnesses provide a connection point on the worker for the personal fall arrest system.
- C: Connectors — Devices used to connect the worker’s full-body harness to the anchorage system (i.e., shockabsorbing lanyard, self-retracting lifeline, etc.). Self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) keep workers safe at any height. Most SRLs stop falls within 24 inches. Crew members don’t have to calculate the fall distance when using an SRL as opposed to a lanyard.
- D: Descent/rescue — Rescue and retrieval of a fallen worker is a required component of any fall protection program.
Individually, these components won’t provide protection from a fall. However, when they’re used properly and in conjunction with each other, they form a PFAS that’s crucial for safety on the jobsite. Choosing this equipment should always be in accordance with the jobs performed, the job conditions and the individual worker.
Crew members who are exposed to a fall must also be trained by a competent person on the correct procedures for setup of the fall protection systems to be used, the use and operation of the equipment, his/her role, the limitations of the equipment, and proper handling and storage.
By implementing safety procedures for crews, employers can help everyone stay injury-free.
Equipment inspection
Using equipment past its useful life is a potentially deadly mistake. Fall protection equipment must be inspected regularly and taken out of service if it has been involved in a fall or it shows signs of wear. Wear can be caused by daily use or exposure to heat or chemicals. A few signs a worker should look for before using his/her equipment are fraying, cuts and deformed metal hardware.
Increasing compliance
When employers begin to select fall protection equipment, there are features to look for that may result in higher compliance. Choosing a harness with an ergonomic design and leg and shoulder padding relieves discomfort, leading to higher worker acceptance. For example, if a harness isn’t comfortable, then workers may take steps to make it more comfortable, like loosening the straps too much. However, an improper fit just doesn’t offer the same level of safety.
Maintaining a résumé of safety continues to be critical for industrial cleaning companies. Northern Safety’s technical support reps are available to help find the fall protection solution that will boost compliance and protect work crews.
