Page 44 - OHS, October 2020

PPE: FALL PROTECTION
Preparing New
Hires for Fall
Protection
How to train and equip new hires to ensure they understand and wear fall protection gear.
BY DAVE IVEY
When the pandemic first struck, many states enacted stay-at-home orders or forced construction businesses to shut down in a jarring, sudden stop. Many employees found themselves furloughed or laid off. As states have gradually opened back up, construction businesses have come back online and, thankfully, most have brought their employees back to work. However, many construction workers chose not to return—some found other employment out of necessity, others were content with expanded unemployment benefits, and some older workers who are more vulnerable to the disease decided this might be as good a time as any to retire.
This means many construction companies have open jobs they need to fill. Many companies now have (or soon will have) a “freshman class” of new employees joining them to fill the shoes of the workers lost to the disruption caused by COVID-19.
Having so many new faces on your team can be refreshing, of course, but it also means you need to train and equip your new workers so that they have the knowledge and personal protective gear to keep them safe on the jobsite.
Fall hazards remain one of the biggest safety concerns in construction, so it’s especially worth taking the time to train and equip new employees who will be working at heights about fall protection specifically. This training can also serve as a golden opportunity for your veteran employees to get a bit of a refresher and review the state of their equipment as well.
Training New Hires on Personal
Fall Protection and PPE
In an April 2020 memo, OSHA acknowledged the challenge of completing training in light of the pandemic and business closures, and gave enforcement officials some discretion when considering an employer’s training efforts. OSHA said:
“In instances where an employer
is unable to comply with OSHA- mandated training, audit, assessment, inspection, or testing requirements because local authorities required the workplace to close, the employer should demonstrate a good faith attempt to meet the applicable requirements as soon as possible following the re-opening of the workplace.”
This is welcome news, but it doesn’t
let employers off the hook. The part at the end about making a good faith attempt to meet the training requirements as soon as possible should not be overlooked.
Completing OSHA-mandated training promptly and preparing new employees to recognize the hazards on the job can go hand-in-hand. Fall prevention training should cover the hazards related to ladders, scaffolding, and roofing work. You should also teach your workers about the personal fall protection equipment available to them, including how to use it and when they need to wear it.
OSHA offers a free lesson plan and training guide that can be used as a basic crash course.1 Many suppliers of fall protection equipment also offer customized training, including more advanced fall protection safety training and specialized training for using the types of equipment they provide, such as full body harnesses, self-retracting lifelines (SRLs), and others. It’s worth inquiring about these training opportunities, especially before sending new workers to a job site for the first time.
Equipping New Hires with
Personal Fall Protection Gear
In addition to training, you’ll need to outfit your new employees with personal protective equipment, including personal fall protection gear. Ideally, each employee should have their own safety equipment. This ensures that there is always enough equipment to go around, and that each employee has gear they’re familiar with using and that fits them comfortably and properly.
If your employees will be using shared equipment, make sure you are cleaning your equipment between each use to prevent the spread of germs. Most manufacturers recommend cleaning with dish detergent—no harsh chemicals—and water to prevent damage to the integrity of your fall protection equipment.
Take an inventory of the new
40 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2020
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