Can Fall Protection Increase Productivity?

The pros and cons of using fall protection in the workplace sparks a surprising amount of debate among people who work at height. At first, it can seem like there are a lot of rules and regulations that need to be followed. And the process of obeying those rules and regulations can feel like it is cutting into productivity in the workplace. Even though there are some initial investments that need to be made for fall protection, the future of any business will actually be more productive than a business operating without fall protection.

Healthy Workers = Healthy Business

Any team is only as successful as its weakest player. Although that may seem like an exaggeration, this concept is very valid when discussing workplace falls. If a worker gets injured after falling while working at height, they will either not be able to perform their regular duties as effectively as they once could or they will not be able to work at all. In either scenario, there has been a decrease in the productive capabilities of the person who has been injured from falling while at height. And a decrease in one worker’s production places more stress on the entire team which has to work harder to make up for the loss.

Paperwork Takes Time And Time is Money

Whenever a fall occurs in the workplace, there is a tremendous amount of paperwork and correspondence that follows. Safety managers and any involved employees will need to file internal accident reports, meet with people from OSHA, file medical reports, send documentation to worker unions where applicable, and communicate with any other groups that may apply to the situation (ex: emergency response personnel or another company that was also involved with a particular project). Collecting and compiling all of that information takes time. And filling out those different documents means that there is less time for the regular, more lucrative, workplace duties.

Movement Within The Workspace

The height at which someone is working will play a large role in the way they move around their workspace. A worker who would typically power walk when they are walking on the floor will (presumably) move a little more slowly if they were trying to scale a cell tower. When a worker is using a fall protection system, they might find that they have more confidence to move quickly and more efficiently through their workspace at height. This confidence stems from knowing that the fall protection system is there to protect them and that they can move at height with general ease. 

Insurance Costs

Insurance companies will be cautious about the potential risky investment in a company that has had a worker get injured from a fall at height. And if a workplace is a high-risk investment, it is going to have higher insurance costs associated with it. On the other hand, if a workplace displays that it is a low-risk environment because it utilizes fall protection systems and other safety devices, then an insurance company will be more likely to provide a lower cost for coverage. 

OSHA Fines and Inspections 

Depending upon the severity of the fall incident, there are different levels in which OSHA will be involved. In general, a business will probably receive a citation after a fall event where a worker is injured, but OSHA may only deliver a citation if the business failed to provide fall protection when they knew that a fall hazard was present for workers. In the very unfortunate circumstance that a fall event results in a worker fatality, OSHA will need to conduct an investigation. OSHA investigations can consist of long meetings involving any of the people who were associated with the fall event, worksite evaluations, and a substantial amount of paperwork. When employers and employees need to be involved in an OSHA investigation, productivity can be significantly decreased.

Not having a fall protection system in place for people who work at height is a very dangerous way to conduct a business. There are far too many factors in a fall event that could put the success and productivity of employees and a company at risk. Because there are so many things that can be negatively impacted by an unprotected fall in the workplace, it is clear that implementing an appropriate fall protection system is a worthwhile investment.

Until the next time, stay safe up there!

How does your fall protection system make your workplace feel more efficient? Let us know in the comments section below!