Fall Protection Programs

Common Components of a Fall Protection Program

Fall Protection Training

Training your employees on proper PPE use and how to work at heights in a safe manner is the cornerstone of a fall protection program.  Leading indicators in the training realm typically include:
• Creating a fall protection training module that is specific to your facility
• Tracking the names and number of employees successfully completing fall protection training
• Observing employees to ensure compliance

Fall Hazard Assessments and Audits

Another way to quantify the effectiveness of your fall protection program is to perform fall hazard assessments or audits. This approach involves having a fall protection specialist visit your workplace to observe working conditions and employees performing their various job duties at height. The important part here is to align leading indicators with goals. For example, if one of your company’s goals is 100% tie-off for workers at heights, an audit or assessment that finds anything less than this desired outcome means something needs to change.

Fall Hazard Reporting

Documenting hazards and near misses is another way to expose flaws in your safety program. Encouraging employees to report fall hazards allows the organization to identify and remediate unsafe work conditions before a fall occurs. Encouraging a strong reporting culture, and tracking progress on resolving safety issues fosters a sense of trust and demonstrates organizational commitment to employee safety.

Communication

Safety meetings and toolbox talks offer additional opportunities to track meaningful leading indicators.  Talking to your employees about ladder safety or PPE inspection opens a dialogue about safety. Here best practices would include:
• Logging the number of toolbox talks/year
• Keeping track of how many employees attend
• Measuring the corresponding rise or drop of observed fall hazards, near misses, and actual slips, trips, and falls