FALL PROTECTION

FALL PROTECTION

General Contents:
 Definitions
 Duty to have fall protection
 Fall protection systems criteria and
practices
 Training requirements
 Fall protection plan
 Definitions

 ANCHORAGE- means a secure point

of attachment for lifelines, lanyards
or deceleration devices.
 BODY BELT (SAFETY BELT)- means
a strap with means both for securing
it about the waist and for attaching it
to a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration
device.
 BODY HARNESS- means straps
which may be secured about the
employee in a manner that will
distribute the fall arrest forces over
at least the thighs, pelvis, waist,
chest and shoulders with means for
attaching it to other components of a
personal fall arrest system.
 BUCKLE- means any device for
holding the body belt or body
harness closed around the
employee’s body.
 CONNECTOR- means a device
which is used to couple (connect)
parts of the personal fall arrest
system and positioning device
systems together.
 DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT- means
equipment (such as pickling or
galvanizing tanks, degreasing units,
machinery, electrical equipment, and
other units) which, as a result of
form function, maybe hazardous to
worker who fall into such equipmt.
 DECELERATION DEVICE- means
any mechanism, such as a rope
grab, rip stitch lanyard, specially-
woven lanyard, tearing or deforming
lanyards, automatic self-retracting
lifelines/lanyards, etc., which serves
to dissipate a substantial amount of
energy during a fall arrest.
 GUARDRAIL SYSTEMS- means a
barrier erected to prevent employees
from falling to lower levels.
 LIFELINE- means a component
consisting of a flexible line for
connection to an anchorage at one
end to hang vertically (vertical
lifeline), or for connection to
anchorages at both ends to stretch
horizontally (horizontal lifeline), and
which serves as a means for
connecting other components of a
personal fall arrest system to the
anchorage.
 PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM-
means a system used to arrest an
employee in a fall from a working
level. It consists of an anchorage,
connectors, a body belt or body
harness and may include a lanyard,
deceleration device, lifeline or
suitable combinations of these. As
of January 1, 1998, the use of a Body
Belt for fall arrest is prohibited.
 DUTY TO HAVE FALL
PROTECTION
 The employer shall determine if the
walking/working surfaces on which
its employees are to work have the
strength and structural integrity to
support employees safely.
Employees shall be allowed to work
on those surfaces only when the
surfaces have the requisite strength
and structural integrity.
 DUTY TO HAVE FALL
PROTECTION

 UNPROTECTED SIDES AND EDGES.

 Each employee on a walking/working
surface (horizontal and vertical surface)
with an unprotected side or edge which
is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower
level shall be protected from falling by
guardrail systems, safety net systems,
or personal fall arrest systems.
 Fall protection systems
criteria and practices

• Employers shall provide and install

all fall protection systems required
before an employee allowed to begin
the work.
 Training
Requirements
 The program shall enable each
employee to recognize the hazards
of falling and shall train each
employee in the procedures to be
followed in order to minimize these
hazards.
 The employer shall provide a training
program for each employee who
might be exposed to fall hazards.
 Fall protection plan

• Employers engaged in leading edge

work, pre-cast concrete construction
work and residential construction
work who can demonstrate that it is
infeasible or creates a greater hazard
to use conventional fall protection
systems must develop and follow a
fall protection plan.
 Fall protection plan

• The plan should be designed to

enable employees to recognize the
fall hazards on the job and to
establish the procedures that are to
be followed in order to prevent falls
to lower levels or through holes and
openings in walking/working
surfaces.
 LIFELINES INSPECTION
AND STORAGE
NYLON ROPES:
 Inspection
 Inspect for:
 Cuts and abrasions
 Chemical damage (powdering)
 Inspect by opening the rope by
twisting in the opposite
direction to the lay of the rope.
 Inspection should be done at
least twice a month.
 LIFELINES INSPECTION
AND STORAGE

STORAGE
 Never store in direct sunlight or
near source of heat.
 If the rope is soaked, dry
naturally before storing.
 Never store near fire, excessive
heat, acids and other chemicals.
 LIFELINES INSPECTION
AND STORAGE
WIRE ROPES
Inspect for:
 Broken wires
 Wear
 Rust/Corrosion
 Kinks/Squashing
 Bird caging
 LIFELINES INSPECTION
AND STORAGE
STORAGE
 Store undercover in a clean, dry
place.
 Never store directly on the ground.
Examine periodically for
deterioration.
 Renew protective coating, as
required.
 WORKING AT HEIGHT AND
PREVENTION OF FALLING
OBJECTS
 The statutory requirements for
working at height and prevention
of falling object are laid down in
the OSHS and the National
Building Code of the Philippines.
 WORKING AT HEIGHT:

1. Any open edges from which a

person is liable to fall a vertical
distance of more than 2 m shall be
protected by suitable fencing
barriers of a height of between 900
mm and 1150 mm.
2. Work scaffolds shall be erected in
accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions and shall comply with
the prevailing statutory safety
requirements.
3. Platforms, gangways or runs from
any of which a person is liable to
fall a vertical distance of more than
2 m shall be either be closely
boarded, planked or plated.
4. Every board or plank forming part
of a Working Platform shall be of
sound construction, adequate
strength and free from patent
defect. Each board or plank shall
not be less than 200 mm in width
and not less than 25 mm in
thickness.
5. Every board or plank shall rest
securely and evenly on its
supports. No board or plank shall
project beyond its end support to a
distance exceeding 150mm unless
it is sufficiently secured to prevent
tripping.

6. Any Working Platform from which

a person is liable to fall a distance
of more than 2m shall be at least
400mm wide.
7. Any gangway or run from any part of
which a person is liable to fall a
distance of more than 2m shall be at
least 400mm wide if it is used for the
passage of persons only. Its width
shall be extended to at least 650mm
wide if it is used for passage of
materials.
8. Scaffolds shall be inspected by a
competent person (Safety Inspector)
within the immediately preceding
month and also after any such
exposure to weather conditions, such
as typhoon, likely to have affected
their strength or stability.
9. Workers working at height where
erection of fencing barriers are
impracticable shall be provided with
suitable safety belts or harnesses and
suitable and sufficient safe anchorage
points or lifeline system for securing
the safety of the workers. Safety
netting shall also be used as
appropriate. Refer to National
Building Code for details.
10.Stairways must be protected by
temporary hand-railings.
 PREVENTION OF
FALLING OBJECTS
SAFETY NETS:
1. The use of safety nets is intended
not only to prevent personnel from
sustaining injury but also to protect
persons from objects falling from a
height in the cause of construction,
demolition and maintenance works.
2. The safety nets/screens shall be
provided from the uppermost part of
the construction to ground level,
whenever the outermost face of the
building under construction and the
outer edge of the sidewalk is less
than one half (1/2) the height of
building. Safety net to be installed
should be G.I. wire gauge 16.38 mm
mesh nylon net
3. Consideration should also be given
to the use of safety nets where
conditions are such that the safety of
persons below and the protection of
property below cannot be adequately
ensured without their use.
4. Safety nets should be securely fixed
to the scaffolds by wire to prevent it
from being blown off by strong wind;
attention should be exercised to the
regular maintenance of the safety
nets
 PROTECTION FANS

1. The protective canopy shall be

provided whenever the horizontal
distance between the outermost face
of the building and the inner edge of
the sidewalk is equal to or less than
½ half the height of the building
under construction.
2. The sidewalk part of the protective
canopy shall be kept open for a
height of not less than 2.40 meters
high and its underside must be
provided with adequate lighting at
night with not less than 100 watts
bulb for every 6 meters of its length
and at each change of grade or
elevation of the sidewalk surface.
3. The fan boards or catch platforms
shall be provided whenever the wall
of the building under construction is
directly in front of the street side.
4. Fan boards and catch platforms shall be
installed as close as possible to the
working platform, to a maximum of 10
meters.
5. Steel metal catch fans are erected at the
lower portion of building designating for
catching high objects and debris, such as
concrete blocks and plywood.
6. The protection catch fans should be
regularly maintained during which
accumulation of debris should be cleared
to ensure the protection fans are not
overloaded