Page 92 - Occupational Health & Safety, June 2019

FALL PROTECTION
Employers have an enormous responsibility when it comes to creating a safe workplace. They are required to provide a place of employment that is “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm,” as stated in the General Duty Clause of the OSHA Act of 1970.
Creating a safe workplace is a two-pronged approach. Safety starts with the top leadership of an organization leading by ex- ample, not merely being spectators while expecting workers to work safely, but rather they must be visible, engaged with the work, and be active participants in promoting safety. The second and most critical factor for safety is to have the authority to stop work. Stop work authority is central for establishing a safe work- place. Many fall incidents are prevented when individuals know that they can stop the job at any time if they feel that the work is unsafe to perform.
Employers must understand that fall prevention is much more than compliance. Fall prevention is a team effort that requires all forms of leadership to each have a stake in the process to prevent incidents. The way to do that is to get involved. Show interest in your personal safety and the safety of others. Train employees to understand that safety is their personal responsibility. Have every- one get involved in improving safety in the workplace, from the top down. By doing so, you will see a positive change in your safety culture that could lead to fewer safety incidents.
Atlas Field Services (AFS) has been a vital partner for a public
utility company in California in the implementation of its Essen- tial Controls program for vegetation management. The program is built on the premise of “never start a job if controls are not present.” The tool was developed for the workers by the workers to use in the field prior to starting work. The controls are broken down by five focus areas when felling a tree, working aloft, per- forming an uncontrolled drop/controlled drop, and working near high-powered lines.
Each control contains thought-provoking questions that are de- signed to be put into place prior to starting work. If all controls are not present, then work is not started. AFS field safety consultants work closely with the utility and the vegetation management con- tractors to ensure the tool is being utilized in the field. The consul- tants also perform safety observations of the work, document their findings, and provide coaching and guidance to the contractors to ensure that safe work is created. This partnership has improved worker safety in the field in a high-risk industry by ensuring that tree workers get a safe start to perform work.
Jose Moreno is Director of Safety Operations—Western Region for Atlas Field Services, LLC.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/default.html
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