Page 27 - OHS, April 2022

protected by guards at all times. Gates that swing open, slide open, or liftft out, leaving an unprotected opening in the guarding, are not acceptable.
According to the ANSI standard, companies must provide full-time protection when loading and unloading materials from an elevated platform— there can be no exposed areas where an employee could potentially fall. As a result, many companies are seeking a solution to secure elevated work environments.
Dual reciprocating barriers are becoming increasingly popular for this application since they create a controlled access area in which the inner gate and outer gate cannot be opened at the same time. Leading models use a link bar design that ensures both gates work in unison; when the outer gate opens to allow pallets in, the inner gate automatically closes to keep workers out. After the pallet is received, mezzanine-level workers open the inner gate to remove material from the work zone while the outer gate closes to secure the leading edge of the platform.
In addition, OSHA standard 1910 subpart D: Walking-Working Surfaces was developed to help prevent dangerous falls from heights or slips and trips on the same level (working surface). Most of the rules within Walking-Working Surfaces became effective in early 2017 with several more phased in before the start of 2019. Equipment standards on slip, trip, and fall hazards hadn’t been revised since they were first adopted in 1971, so this was a necessary update.
Walking-Working Surfaces also requires that barriers must not be lower or deflect below 39 inches. For fixed barriers, a 39- inch height would be acceptable. However, there must be extra height added to barriers that deflect. This is key for retractable barriers that are often used at loading docks that have an open dock policy, which can expose employees to a fall of 4 feet or more out of the dock door.
Chains at a loading dock should not be used in this instance as they are not strong enough to stop forklifts and typically sag well below the 39-inch requirement. It’s important for facility managers or safety managers to specify a retractable barrier that stretches across the entire width of the dock opening and one that can stop any forklift that might run into it.
Barriers for All Applications
Worker safety is essential. ThThe right combination of barriers throughout a facility can help ensure the workforce is properly protected from in-plant vehicles, machines, and falls. Safety managers who
REFERENCES
seek out and specify the right barriers are protecting the company’s most valuable asset—its workers.
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1. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/safety-topics/forklifts/
2. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-12/fy16_sh-29672-sh6_
SlipsTripsFallsHandoutforSafetyCommitteeMeetings.pdf
3. https://www.nsc.org/newsroom/osha-reveals-top-10-safety-violations-for-fy-21-at
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