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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, one-third of fatalities in the construction industry are caused by falling from elevation. The implementation of a fall protection plan could help decrease the number of deaths from falls by a significant amount.

Under OSHA guidelines, a fall protection plan is required when there is leading edge work being performed 6 ft. above the ground and conventional fall protection equipment (such as personal fall arrest systems, guardrails, and safety nets) create a greater hazard or are impractical. The fall protection plan is to be prepared by a “competent person” specifically for the site, and must contain reasons why conventional fall protection systems are infeasible or more hazardous.

A fall protection plain contains a number of sections. First, a fall protection plan should contain a statement of company policy which discusses the responsibilities employers and the purpose of the fall protection plan. The statement of company policy should also discuss the areas and activities of the project where non-conventional means of fall protection are necessary. The areas where a fall protection plan applies are known as “controlled access zones,” and only trained and experienced employees should be authorized to enter.

Following the statement of company policy should be a section outlining the fall protection systems which will be used on the project. There are a number of fall protection systems available, such as: positioning device systems, warning line systems, and safety monitoring systems.

Next, the fall protection plan should contain a section outlining the reasons why conventional fall protection systems were hazardous and/or impracticable. This section should discuss the individual fall protection systems that were initially considered and discuss in detail the reasons why each system was hazardous or impracticable.

Finally, the fall protection plan should state who is responsible for implementation and enforcement of the protection plan, how changes to the plan will be made, and what happens if an accident occurs. Changes to the protection plan will be approved by the person who authored the construction plan, and all employees should be trained on any new procedures. If an accident should occur, an investigation should occur and the plan reviewed to determine if changes need to be made to prevent other accidents from occurring.