Working in any field that requires you to work on scaffolding can be dangerous. Fall injuries happen much too often in the U.S., and it’s important that every worker follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) three step prevention process when it comes to falls: OSHA’s steps are planning, providing, and training.

It’s important to outline and go over a fall arrest equipment checklist before every job.

• Body Harnesses — Keeping track of all the full body harnesses onsite is an important part of any job site with dangerous heights. You should not only make sure that there are enough body harnesses for every employee, but make sure there are a few backup harnesses and that each harness is properly working. Inspect the webbing for any cuts, abrasions, tears, or discoloration. Make sure the stitching is strong and everything is held in place securely. And make sure all the hardware attached to the body harness like the buckles, back pads, and keepers are damage free and secured.

• Lanyards — The lanyards are just as important as any piece of fall protection equipment. If the fall protection lanyards are not working, then it doesn’t matter what kind of condition the harnesses are in. Make sure all the carabiners and snap hooks are properly functioning and damage free. Finally, inspect all the wire rope that will be used onsite to make sure there is no corrosion or broken wires that could lead to serious falls and injury.

• Self Retracting Lifelines — You should inspect the impact indicator on the lifeline to make sure there are no signs of rupturing or broken stitching. Any cuts or tears to the lifeline can lead to serious injury, which is why it’s so important to go over every detail of the retracting lifeline. Make sure all the screws and fasteners are tight, inspect the locking and break mechanisms, and make sure the retention system is properly functioning and ready for deployment.

If your company needs to learn more about the latest fall arrest equipment and certification courses contact Certex today for class schedules and locations.