Dusty Roach
Falling in love is okay. “Falling,” in of itself, is for the birds. Fall is my favorite season. I have mentioned slips, trips, and falls in several previous article. In case you have not figured it out, this month I am singularly focusing on falls, falling, and fall protection. One of my previous articles was about the Top Ten violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as per their most recent statistics. Amazingly, and yet sadly, fall protection holds the number one spot, and has for the last ten years. I know I have said before that the highway is the most dangerous factor for our industry, and that still holds true. However, highway crashes do not fall under the bailiwick of OSHA. It is worth repeating, though, that the number one spot for OSHA violations for the last 10 years is in fall protection. How nice and convenient for OSHA to lay out what the biggest challenge is in our industry and yet it remains number one!
In 2019, 880 workers died in falls, and 244,000 were injured badly enough to require days off from work. A worker does not have to fall from a high level to suffer fatal injuries—146 workers were killed in falls on the same level in 2019, according to Injury Facts from the NSC (National Safety Council) statistics.OSHA has identified the four leading causes of death in the construction industry as the “Fatal Four.” The majority of General Industry and Construction accidents responsible for worker deaths are falls, struck by an object, electrocutions, and caught in or between.
OSHA’s General Industry Standards (29 CFR 1910)
OSHA’s Construction Standards (29 CFR 1926)
In essence, OSHA has given us the playbook of what to look out for and the solutions to beat the Fatal Four, and yet, here we are, after 10 years.
So what could be the solution? It’s not as though we are without prospects. They are readily available. Consider just these: adherence of the laws, guidelines, best practices, JSA, hazard assessment, training, hiring practices. And the list goes on. With so many deterrents available, why do we experience so much tragedy?
I submit to you, in no particular order, a few reasons based on years of experience and data: 1. non-compliance, 2. hubris 3. laziness, 4. lack of monitoring, 5. lack of enforcement 6. lack of leadership, 7. lack of planning, 8. lack of training, 9. lack of emphasis 10. lack of time, 11. lack of funds, 12. lack of regard for the law, 13. lack of policies, and 14. lack of procedures. Again, the list goes on. Any one of these reasons can be a contributing factor or a root cause.
To this day, I do not know of a single individual who wakes up in the morning and says, “Today is the day I plan on falling.” Or “It must have been a freak accident!” As opposed to a planned accident?
OSHA provides proper guidance and numerous other entities have the means and the direction of eliminating, mitigating, and reducing injury and fatalities. We have the research, procedures, proper technology, and equipment to prevent these falls and injuries. Apparently we do not have the time, as time is money. It takes too long and costs too much to follow the path of breaking this ten-year curse.
If you need guidance, seek a safety professional specific to the business you are in and one who is knowledgeable of the operational battles. That person will also make you aware of the safety battles. If you need enforcement, seek a person of leadership, backed with a strong HR department. If you need time or money to do it right, plan your work and work your plan. It sounds simple. It is not. It is worth it.
I know the bottom line is the bottom line. It begs the question of how much does a “shortcut” end up costing? If you say “too much,” I won’t fall for that. It sounds like this topic is near and dear to my heart, it is. As always, it doesn’t matter how many hits you make in baseball. The only thing that counts is how many times you reach home safely. Be safe, and be good.
—Dusty