Fall Hazard

What Does Fall Hazard Mean?

A fall hazard is anything in a workplace or on a jobsite that could cause a worker to fall. This includes the leading edges on rooftops, holes in floors that are under construction, and ladders.

Falling from heights is the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that slips, trips, and falls were responsible for 38.4% of deaths in the construction industry in 2022. Out of these 865 fatalities, 700 were due to falls to a lower level.

Safeopedia Explains Fall Hazard

OSHA Guidelines for Fall Hazards

According to OSHA, employers are responsible for keeping workers safe from known hazards. Where fall hazards are present, this includes a duty to provide adequate active and passive fall protection systems. Depending on the specifics of the worksite and the type of work being done, this can include:

• Installing guardrails near leading edges or where workers could fall into dangerous machine or equipment
• Installing hole covers and skylight guards
• Installing safety nets when work is taking place at 25 feet of elevation or higher
• Providing workers with personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), travel restraint systems, or other fall protection PPE
• Providing employees with fall protection training
• Regularly inspecting ladders, stairs, handrails, and fall protection equipment

OSHA outlines the fall protection requirements for construction sites in standard 1926 Subpart M, which includes:

• Fall protection measures must be implemented if work is taking place at six feet of elevation or more
• Where practicable, passive fall protection systems like guardrails must be used to prevent workers from coming into contact with fall hazards
• When work is taking place at 25 feet of elevation or higher, safety nets capable of withstanding the impact of a falling worker must be installed
• Workers must be provided with personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) consisting of a full-body harness, a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (SRL), an anchorage connector, a suitable anchor point
• Where typical fall protection measures can’t be used (such as leading edge work), the employer must establish a controlled access zone (CAZ) to limit access to inessential workers and untrained personnel 

Identifying Fall Hazards

Knowing where and how employees could fall is the first step to preventing it from happening. Employers must conduct a hazard assessment to identify the fall hazards on the jobsite, assess how severe the risk of falling would be, and implement control measures to mitigate those risks. 

Hazards to look out for include:

• Unguarded leading edges (on roofs and platforms, for instance)
• Aerial lifts and other equipment that brings workers at height
• Skylights, holes, and other openings in the walking-working surface
• Scaffolding and other temporary structures
• Sloped roofs that make it more difficult for workers to hold their balance
• Ladders also pose a fall hazard but are easily overlooked when assessing fall risks

Types of Fall Hazards in the Workplace

Elevated Work Surfaces

This includes not only roofs but any walking-working surface above ground level, such as elevated platforms and scaffolds.

Proper guardrails must be in place to avoid workers from falling over the edge. Workers might also require a travel restraint system to prevent them from reaching leading edges, or a personal fall arrest system to protect them if they do fall over the edge.

Unprotected Edges

These are the edges of surfaces that lead to a fall hazard but are unprotected. Slipping, tripping, or losing one’s balance near these edges can result in a serious injury or loss of life. Handrails and guardrails must be installed to prevent these incidents.

Where railings are either insufficient or unfeasible, fall restraint systems can be used to prevent workers from reaching the unprotected edge.

Floor Openings

Floor openings include holes that are present during construction but also stairwells, skylights, and elevator shafts. These openings must be protected by guardrails or warning signs to prevent workers from getting too close to them. When no work related to the floor opening is taking place, it must be covered to prevent people or materials from falling through.

Unstable Surfaces

Wet floors, uneven flooring, and loose flooring can all cause workers to lose their balance and fall. Many of these issues can be prevented by conducting regular inspections and following housekeeping procedures.

Improperly installed scaffolding, surfaces that aren’t built to support the weight of a person, or ladders that are set up on uneven ground can also give way, resulting in a potentially injurious or deadly fall. 

Other Fall Hazards

• Inadequate anchor points, whether they are damaged, improperly installed, or simply incapable of supporting the full weight of a fall arrest
• Safety harnesses that have not been donned properly
• Collision with objects when a fall arrest system is engaged and causes the falling worker to swing into a wall or other obstruction
• Electrical shock, which can cause workers to let go of a ladder or lose their balance
• Climbing down trucks, tractors, and other heavy equipment

Fall Hazard Examples

Fall hazards are plentiful. Here are some examples of the ones you might encounter on any given jobsite:

• Portable ladder with worn out rungs
• Unguarded stairways
• Working in scissor lifts or boom lifts
• Cables and cords running along the walking-working surface
• Unsteady scaffolding
• Makeshift platforms
• Improper footwear
• Lack of warning signs near fall hazards
• Using components of a fall arrest system that have already been involved in a fall
• Fall arrest systems that are used without first calculating the fall clearance
• Standing on boxes, crates, and other unsteady objects

Preventing Falls

Every workplace hazard should be tackled by following the hierarchy of hazard controls. Essentially, employers should first apply the most effective control method applicable, then move on to less effective ones if necessary.

For most hazards, the hierarchy of controls is: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and PPE. 

When dealing with fall hazards, however, the hierarchy is slightly different. Starting with the most effective, the control methods are:

• Elimination: If possible, remove the hazard entirely. This could be achieved by:
  • Boarding up holes in the walking-working surface
  • Relocating the work to an area where there is no risk of falling
  • Limiting the amount of time workers spend at heights (for example, assembling components at ground level before moving them to a higher surface for installation) 
• Passive Fall Protection: When the fall risks cannot be eliminated, employers should take steps to physically separate workers from fall hazards. This can include:
  • Installing secure guardrails that will not fall or give when a worker falls, leans, or backs into them
  • Installing skylight covers and hole covers capable of supporting the weight of a worker 
• Fall Restraint Systems: When guardrails and other passive measures cannot be installed or do not sufficiently reduce the risk of a fall, restraint systems should be considered. These systems tether the worker’s safety harness to a secure anchor point. While tethered, the worker cannot reach the fall hazard and won’t accidentally put themselves at risk.
• Fall Arrest Systems: When close proximity to a fall hazard is unavoidable, fall arrest systems will be required. These are low on the list since they will not prevent a worker from falling but will prevent a falling worker from reaching the lower level. This includes:
  • Safety nets installed below the working surface to catch a falling worker
  • Personal fall arrest systems that activate when a worker falls and leave them suspended in their harness until they can be rescued
• Administrative Controls: Administrative measures cannot physically prevent a fall or limit a falling worker’s injuries. They can, however, encourage workers to be safer around fall hazards. These controls include: 
  • Posting fall hazard signs to remind workers of the risk around them
  • Designating a safety monitor to supervise workers at height
  • Creating a controlled access zone (CAZ) when more effective control methods cannot be used

Other important steps for preventing falls include:

• Ensuring that every employee who works at heights has received fall protection training
• Inspecting all fall protection equipment before use
• Conducting regular audits of the fall protection plan to ensure its efficacy and to identify areas for improvement
• Holding toolbox meetings on fall safety at the start of a shift when employees will be working at heights
• Instituting regular housekeeping procedures to ensure that walking surfaces remain free of debris, slick and slippery substances, and tripping hazards

Ready to learn more? Check out our free webinar on Leading Edges in Fall Protection!