People need fall arrest equipment protection because even those with experience working at heights can lose their balance or grip; we can slip, trip, or misstep at any time. People may think that their reflexes will protect them, but theyre falling before they know it, and they dont have to fall far to be seriously injured. People have been falling since Day One. Until people get better at landing, they will need protection from falling.
Falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds account for more than half of all disabling falls to lower levels. Disabling falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds are most frequent within the construction trades. The cause of such falls? Loss of balance caused by slipping, tripping, and shifting or unstable ladders.
Fall-protection equipment is the first thing that comes to mind in protecting against fall potential: personal fall-arrest systems, safety nets, or guardrails, for example. But fall protection means more than equipment. Fall protection is what people do to eliminate fall hazards, to prevent falls, and to ensure that workers who may fall arent injured.
Accomplished fall protection is done by the...