Accident Caused by A Slip Safety Is the Tip

Life is precious and so is true with the life of every employee especially those who work in the construction field. With the increasing number of high-rise buildings and sky scrapers, there is an increase in the need for safety anchor points on buildings to protect and prevent the employees from fatal accidents on the site. Now, you may wonder what kind of work a worker does by climbing on a huge skyscraper or a high- rise building.

Well, there are so many jobs that he does, let’s look at some:

1. Cleaning up sky scrapers

2. Repairing any glass or tinting of the windows

3. Clearing silo blockages

4. Constructing lattice structures

5. Installing a banner or a sign board on buildings

6. Installing fiber cement panels

How Safety Anchor Points Work:

Safety anchor points are installed on the roofs of buildings and the workers are connected or hooked with a lanyard or lifelines so that in case they lose their balance and fall off from their working platforms they are protected and prevented from any life-threatening injuries. Safety anchor points are designed to give a worker easy and free movement to work on from heights. These anchors are D-ring connectors, or it can be a complete lifeline system with temporary or permanent fall protection anchors. There are many types of safety anchor points-

1. Steel purlin mount anchor points

2. Through bolt concrete anchor points

3. Top surface mount anchor points

4.  Top surface mount abseil anchor points

5. Portable single anchor points

6. Rigid post single anchor points

7. Vacuum single anchor points

8. Fixed or Portable truss anchor points

Safety Instructions:

1. Always first read the safety instructions on the label. Check the length of the lanyard and weight requirements. Note that the total weight will include your body weight, clothes weight, safety boots, tool belt and equipment weight.

2. Caution: Never exceed required capacity.

3. Read the instructions on maximum elongation, maximum arrest force for the fall to stop and maximum free fall.

4. Caution: If the maximum arrest force exceeds the limits then it can lead to serious injuries like ruptured intestines, fractured liver, organ displacements into the chest cavity or even lead to death.

5. Make sure that you tie off as high as possible above your D-ring to keep your free fall at a minimum; it is good to keep a clearance distance of 2 to 3 feet above the ground level.

Choose the Right Anchor Point:

Choosing the right anchor point helps in gaining the right strength and stability. So, if you are tied off at the same height as your D-ring, your free fall will equal the length of your lanyard. If you tie off lower than your D-ring your free fall will be greater than the length of your lanyard and increase the chances of injury. However, if you tie off higher, your free fall will be less than the length of your lanyard and you will be safe.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death and injuries. But remember, each fall protection scenario is unique.

So, it is very important to create a safer workplace for your employees. One way that you as an employer can take care of the safety of your employees is to have anchor points inspected and maintained at regular intervals to avoid any fails during the time of usage. Another way is to organize proper and regular training programs for the employees which will provide them with the necessary knowledge and help them to protect themselves while working safely at heights. By taking these steps of having proper safety anchor points installed, educating and preparing employees, you ensure that any accidents that is caused by a slip or a trip can save a life.