In the industrial workforce, construction especially, workers are at a high risk of falling and injuring themselves. In fact, accidental falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. Of the almost 300 fall-related deaths in the last year, all of them could have been prevented with proper fall training and through following OSHA fall protection standards.

Plan

Planning ahead to ensure that your job gets done properly and safely is crucial to preventing injuries onsite. First, determine what needs to get done, how it’s going to get done, and who is going to do it. Planning ahead could mean the difference between assigning a new hire to a task, and assigning an experienced worker who may be able to teach the new employee. In addition, making sure that all of the proper equipment is on the job site is important. For example, when working on scaffolding, you’d need to keep all of the fall hazards in mind and bring the appropriate equipment to the site.

Provide

Providing the proper equipment for each job is incredibly important to ensure the safety of your workers. Different slings and supplies are used for different jobs, and the same goes for all kinds of equipment. Making sure you’re using the proper tool for the job could mean the difference between a serious fall and a safe, efficient work day. In addition, you need to make sure that all of your equipment has been inspected properly and is up to standard. Providing equipment means nothing if it’s falling apart.

Train

The number one resource to prevent accidental falls is training. By following OSHA fall protection training standards, you can prevent countless deaths and injuries. Make sure that every worker is trained in the proper use of safety nets and lifelines, as well as able to inspect their own equipment. OSHA fall protection training covers a wide range of topics to ensure the proper training and safety of all workers, whether new or experienced.

Training frequently may seem like a pain, but it is a very necessary one. Refresher training courses can not only reinforce OSHA training, they can save lives.