OSHA Safety Stand Down

Falls are a leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. In 2015 alone, 350 construction workers died as a result of a fall. One in four of these falling from a ladder and one in three falling from heights exceeding 15 feet. Since falls are oftentimes avoidable, OSHA created the National Safety Stand Down to bring awareness to fall prevention and protection.

Earlier this week, Flash held our annual Safety Stand Down meeting. Flash’s service team, safety coordinator and leadership team took the time to thoroughly discuss our fall prevention program, emphasizing the importance of tower safety, regular equipment inspections and hazard awareness with all attendees.

FALL PROTECTION AND TOWER RESCUE PLAN

Flash employs a multi-point safety policy governing fall protection and rescue, and 100% compliance is expected.

• Comtrain tower training occurs at the time of hire and before any climbs. Renewal training occurs every two years. Additional training, such as this safety talk, occurs periodically as needed to ensure climbing safety.

 

• Specific restraint and arrest devices are required, and fall protection equipment inspections must occur before each use, daily and quarterly. Each harness safety inspection is documented per recognized best safety practices. In addition, an annual inspection by a competent party who isn’t the user is required.

 

• Toolbox safety talks, or tailgate safety meetings, occur before any work begins on a job site. Not only is the work to be performed discussed, but the site is also inspected for potential hazards. Concerns discussed range from encroaching weather patterns and local wildlife to damaged guy wires or nearby vehicle traffic. If the crew does not feel safe, the crew does not climb.

 

• Flash employs a best practices climbing procedure, aligned with NATE STAR’s policy. In addition, Flash details a tower rescue plan including fall rescue methods, treatment of the rescued party and equipment to use.

 

But accidents don’t just happen on the job site. Service Manager Barry Baird also instructs staff in driver safety awareness as the crew could encounter any number of surprises on the road to or from job sites.

At the end of the day, the goal of our policy, NATE’s guidelines and OSHA’s recommendations are to improve safety and reduce the loss of life. Tower climbing is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous careers in the world, and we want our entire team to come home safe after every job.