Posts by developer
Can I Use My Rock Climbing Equipment As Industrial Fall Protection?
When attempting to access an area at height, it’s always essential to use some form of application-appropriate fall protection to ensure your safety, especially since falls are the leading cause of death in industries such as construction. Bodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) provide…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Full Body Safety Harness; Functionality and Components
A full-body safety harness — also called body wear — is a critical element of every personal fall protection system. Workers across various industries performing job tasks at height rely on these systems for protection from potential workplace hazards, including construction sites, railcar operations and fire and rescue. While every part of a fall protection…
Read MoreCages for Fixed Ladders Are No Longer Acceptable Fall Protection Under OSHA
Fixed ladders with cages have been a standard form of fall protection for many applications for a long time. However, a study conducted by Safety Squared in 2004 for the Health and Safety Executive in the UK found that fixed ladders with cages do not provide adequate fall protection to workers. In fact, many experts would argue…
Read MoreANSI/ASSP Z359 Versus ANSI/ASSP A10
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a non-profit organization that oversees creating, standardizing, and implementing thousands of regulations and guidelines that impact businesses in almost every industry. ANSI also ensures that the organizations involved in creating the regulations and guidelines are legitimate experts in their respective fields through a process they call accreditation. Similarly,…
Read MoreWhat Qualifies as a Safety Anchorage Point For a Personal Fall Arrest System?
Personal fall protection systems require strong components to protect workers from fall hazards, so it is crucial to select an appropriate anchor point. However, you may not know how to tell whether an anchor point is suitable. Below, we’ll define what an anchor point is, examine OSHA fall protection regulations, and discuss how to select…
Read MoreHow to Reduce Slips and Falls Around the Truck
Driving a truck can be dangerous in and of itself. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Occupational Health and Safety Administration, more of the nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the trucking industry are fall-related than from collisions or other motor vehicle incidents. According to statistics from OSHA, nearly one-third of all nonfatal injuries in the…
Read MoreWhat is a Self-Retracting Lanyard (SRL)?
The leading cause of death in the construction industry is falling. Workers are at a higher risk of critical injury or death if they’re higher than six feet. Personal fall arrest systems, equipped with self-retracting lanyards, can help prevent falls in the workplace and save lives. A self-retracting lanyard, also called a self-retracting lifeline or SRL, is a vertical fall protection lifeline…
Read MoreThe Importance of Training
Rigid Lifelines specializes in workplace safety. Our rigid rail enclosed track fall arrest systems are designed to improve safety for workers performing tasks at height who might be at risk of injuries from falling. Fall arrest systems attach workers to secure anchors through the use of full-body harnesses and connecting devices. This equipment is designed…
Read MorePPE — Function vs. Comfort
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a universal part of almost every industrial or construction environment, but it’s rarely enjoyable to wear. Problems with PPE comfort can make it less likely that employees will wear it, eliminating the protective properties it offers. You can also find PPE that provides more comfort, potentially at the risk of…
Read MoreDesigning Facilities for Worker Safety
Worker safety is paramount to a facility’s success, and it all starts with design. If you can eliminate a hazard at the source, you reduce the need for protective measures and the overall risk. So what goes into cultivating workplace safety, and how do you focus on your facility’s unique needs? Let’s take a closer…
Read MoreOSHA Crackdown: Tougher Enforcement Aimed at Reducing Violations
Fall protection in the workplace has been required by Federal OSHA regulations since 1974, shortly after the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law in 1970. Since then, the requirements for fall protection and the approach to fall safety have changed dramatically. Recently, some changes have been made to the approach to enforcement.…
Read MoreIs Fall Protection Needed At A Fire Company For Truck Maintenance?
When working on top of a fire truck, do firefighters need to use fall protection? The logical answer to this would seem to be yes, because a fire truck is over 4 feet tall. The legal answer is: it depends. According to OSHA, Federal OSHA regulations do not have jurisdiction over State, municipal, or volunteer fire departments.…
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