Contractor gets cited for workers' falls off Dallas Cowboy Stadium- The importance of having the right fall protection

On December 4, two maintenance workers slipped on the icy roof of the Cowboy Stadium, in Arlington, and slid until they were caught by a gutter (" Workers slide off icy roof at Cowboy Stadium- Are your workers prepared for icy conditions?" http://bit.ly/6RglDU ). Four months later, OSHA has finally issued a citation for the incident. It was reported that one of the workers lost consciousness after breaking a leg and suffering head and chest injuries. The other worker injured his back.

OSHA cited Birdair Inc. of Amherst, N.Y., with one alleged willful violation and one alleged serious violation of OSHA standards, saying the workers weren't wearing "required fall protection equipment" and weren't trained in "hazards associated with falls."

"The workers were wearing fall protection gear; however, they were not tied off in accordance with OSHA standards," agency spokeswoman Elizabeth Todd told the Star-Telegram. Although they were wearing safety harnesses, they weren't connected to lines that would have kept them from falling to the edge of the roof. OSHA proposed $45,000 in penalties. "If OSHA's standards for fall protection had been followed, [it] is possible these employees would not have been seriously injured," Zachary Bennett, OSHA's Fort Worth area director, said in a news release. Birdair has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Fort Worth, or contest the citations and penalties.

This is often a problem that we encounter with companies with existing fall protection systems. Just because you might have a fall protection system up doesn't necessarily mean that it's the right fall protection. Many people tend to overlook the engineering and designing that goes beyond putting up fall protection. Various forces such as end-load conditions, support requirements, deflection, ultimate loads, have to be taken into account to determine what fall protection system will meet your needs. It's not as simple as handing your workers a harness and a whimsy lifeline to tie off to. Training your employees is also a big factor. It's also not enough to hand them the right fall protection; they must be fully trained on how to tie off and inspect their fall protection equipment. What good is a system if it's not being used correctly? Hy-Safe Technology's turnkey fall protection services assure that your fall protection system will be tailored to your specific application and environment. We also provide fall protection training. Give us a call to find out more 800-642-0775

This picture is a great example of having fall protection but not having the right fall protection. Can you tell what's wrong with the picture?