Personal Injury Law

Fall-Safety Regulations Rising

By Megan Roth

It's a beautiful summer day and you're contemplating emptying the roof gutters. But before you climb that ladder, stop and think: should you be wearing a harness? Odds are, you won't even consider it; however, the few that do will probably decide against it. I mean, come on, the odds of falling are slim and it's only a couple of stories up, so you probably wouldn't even get hurt if you did fall, right? Perhaps; however, one in ten construction workers is injured on the job each year and the chances of an injury in high-rise construction are much, much greater. And, in addition to the increased risk, 78% of fatalities stemming from high-rise construction project falls were on projects built by nonunion contractors.

As a result, safety regulators around the nation are attempting to implement requirements which would significantly improve the safety in high-rise construction worksites. New regulations have been proposed not only to decrease the risk of fatality stemming from a fall, but also to lessen the odds of a falloccuring in the first place.

Federal Safety laws have long been in place requiring contractors to provide temporary flooring 30 feet below employees working in steel erection; however, the OSHA has created loophole to this regulation by allowing contractors to avoid the need for a net so long as construction workers wear safety harnesses.

Workman harnesses are recommended for any job that involves vertical 'travel'. Approximately 37 percent of all serious injuries and deaths that occur at construction sites are attributed to falls; thus, safety harnesses are often found and put to good use at construction sites. Because they're both common and necessary, manufacturers have made attempts to make the product more comfortable for workers. Many harnesses are now created using stretchable webbing in order to allow for more comfortable manuevering, flexing, and bending.The harnesses, which are attached to life lines, must fit construction workers correctly in order to minimize shock in the event of a fall.

In addition to safety harnesses, emergency hoists, ropes, and cables have become increasingly common at construction sites. Tether and transfer systems have been designed to allow for 'moveable support'.

Though the aforementioned safety devices vary in material, style, and overall design based on the type of construction they're used for, one thing remains certain: these devices have reduced the risk that a routine slip-up will lead to serious injury or worse, death.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on July 04, 2008 (boomark / email).