Fall-related accidents Name Subject Instituti n Date
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS !
Introduction Falls ha"e been # und t be the number ne $iller # % r$ers in c nstructi n& this acc unt # r a''r (imatel) ne-third # all c nstructi n #atalities* In an) t)'ical da)& ne c nstructi n % r$er #alls t their death %hile n the j b& %hile se"eral m re are hurt and h s'itali+ed* The ,ccu'ati nal Sa#et) and -ealth Administrati n .,S-A/ ha"e in"estigated man) accidents in" l"ing seri us injuries and m st % r$er-related #atalities* 0ith this regard& research stud) had t be c nducted and # cused n the data ,S-A alread) accumulated n c nstructi n % r$er accidents c ncerning #alls* C nsidering ur c nstructi n industr)& #alls ha"e 'r "en t be the m st #re1uentl) ccurring t)'es # accidents that results t #atalities* The main 'ur' se # this stud) %as t disc "er the r t causes # all #all accidents as %e identi#) an) ther additi nal
in# rmati n that might hel' us reduce the incidence and accidents # a c nstructi n % r$er #alls in the c nstructi n industr) #uture* This is the reas n %h) ,S-A launched a "ig r us cam'aign t hel' in 're"enting #alls in c nstructi n sites and a reas n %h) ,S-A created a ne% and stringent #all 'r tecti n ' lic) aimed # r residential c nstructi n sites* The c nstructi n % r$ers such as car'enters %h raise %alls& #rame single-#amil) h mes& setting # trusses and 'lacing j ists sh c$ingl) e('erience the m st high injur) and death rates in #alls* In the )ear !223& an ast unding 445 # all ccu'ati nal #atalities in ur residential #raming %ere all attributed t #alls* 6 st % r$ers are in small #irms and are in % r$ing c nditi ns %here the) must re'eatedl) access areas ab "e the gr und le"el in structures& the) n rmall) % r$ # r and in#re1uentl) see n-site sa#et) 'r #essi nals t guide them n sa#et)* This gr u' seems t be am ng the hardest gr u's t get t %ith e##ecti"e inter"enti ns against #alls* In this case& i# the)
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS 7
%ere in a ' siti n t be reached& the) % uld ##er a 'articular rich '' rtunit) t sa"e their li"es as %ell as limbs* Safety Management Sa#et) management re#ers t the meth d # leading a c m'an) %hereas sa#et) leadershi' is m re # a h)' n)ms %hich c ntains the 'rinci'les # the %a) # thin$ing studied here* Sa#et) management is a c mbinati n # the di##erent #ields # 'r tecti n and #uncti ns as the c rdinat r # di##erent sect rs # sa#et)* Sa#et) management means the sa#et) # 'e 'le& l cati n and 'r 'ert) as %ell as determined situati n # sa#et)* Sa#et) management includes all the areas and 'erati ns that are re1uired t ensure the c n"ergence # the rgani+ati n8s missi n and the intactness # the targets t be 'r tected* Case study An electric g nd la %as used n the e(teri r # a high-rise c nstructi n building in the 6a$ati business district # ca'ital 6anila and c lla'sed n 9anuar) !3* The c nstructi n #ell !1 st ries landing n 'r truding metal r ds* In this case& ten c nstructi n % r$ers died instantl) and nl) ne sur"i"ed and %as h s'itali+ed %ith numer us seri us #ractures and injuries* This tragic death # the % r$ers %as t tall) a" idable* This accident re"eals the a''alling % r$ing c nditi ns # the c nstructi n industr) in the % rld* This accident ccurred at Et n :r 'ert) ;r u'8s lu(ur) c nd minium building& Et n Residences* Et n Residences building is a 7<-st r) c m'le( that %as scheduled # r c m'leti n*
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS =
The % r$ers at this m ment had been installing glass %ind %s n its 7!nd #l r* The re' rts indicate that a sus'ended electric li#t had carried 'e 'le e(ceeding a ma(imum carr)ing ca'acit) # #i"e r se"en 'e 'le* 11 men %ere cr %ded int the g nd la %hen the r 'es n %hich this g nd la %ere sus'ended and ga"e %a) t its c lla'se& #alling and landing n a sa#et) net %hich %as 'er# rated at di##erent ' ints b) t%isted metal bars !1 st ries d %n* Reasons Why Fall Accidents Occur 6 st in"estigati n int the causes # the #all accident re"eals sh c$ing disregard # r % r$ers sa#et) and the subc ntract rs* Lac$ # sa#et) harnesses r li#elines 'r "ided # r em'l )ees leads t % r$ers being m re 'r ne t the accidents* 0 r$ers n t su''lied an) sa#et) e1ui'ments are als subjected t % rst #all accidents e##ects* A 'h t gra'h # ne mangled b d) # a % r$er being rem "ed #r m the site # %rec$age # the g nd la re"ealed that he %as nl) %earing tsinelas& %hich is a 'air # l %-'riced rubber #li'-#l 's but n t % r$ b ts* This li#t that
c lla'sed had n # rmal 'erat r and an) em'l )ee has 'ermissi n t raise r l %er the g nd la* The e('erienced 'e 'le t a" id an) #all injuries caused due t lac$ # 'erat rs e('erience .Li'sc mb& !211/ sh uld handle a''aratus and c nstructi n machines* The Ways to Prevent Fall Accidents C nstructi n sites ha"e 'r "en t be the m st danger us en"ir nments as c m'ared t ther % r$'lace* In such a case& c nstructi n accidents are li$el) ccur m re in this #ield m re than ther % r$ing accidents* - %e"er& c nstructi n accidents can be easil) a" ided b) a''l)ing m re rigid and en# rceable sa#et) rules and 'ractices at all c nstructi n sites*
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS 4
The general c ntract r and all subc ntract rs are re1uired t de"el ' and maintain a reas nabl) sa#e % r$ site> this sh uld include %arnings # an) ' ssible dangers inherent in the site and the % r$ g ing t be d ne there* Em'hasis sh uld be 'ut n the hiring 'r cess # care#ul em'l )ees& %h ha"e c rdinati n # j b sa#et)* The su'er"isi n sh uld ensure c m'liance %ith the sa#et) s'eci#icati ns utlined* In additi n& additi n& all the site % r$ers sh uld be ade1uatel) e1ui''ed %ith training # 'r 'er 'erati n # all the e1ui'ment n site* The site must be %ell managed in $ee'ing and u'h lding all legal standards t 're"ent an) c nstructi n site accidents* E"en %ith the e(' sure # 'recauti ns and adherence t sa#et) 'ractices& m re c nstructi n site injuries can still ccur because # the inade1uac) # these 'r "isi ns* The accidents in" l"ing an) substandard r c lla'sing sca## lds can lead t c nstructi n site accident cases .Dale A6& !22?/* The accidents ma) include& #alls ## # r electr cuti ns thr ugh r structures Curriculum on Fall Prevention The research #indings suggested se"eral sh rtc mings # e(isting #all related accidents 're"enti n trainings* The % r$ers had ab ut three h urs # #all 're"enti n trainings& and des'ite their 're#erence # r a 'artici'at r) learning& this training largel) c nstituted # sitting in a classr m and %atching "ide s related t #all accidents* This e('lains %h) % r$ers n rmall) #ing
underestimated the #all ris$s # und %hen % r$ing n sca## lds and ladders* The ne% curriculum hel'ing t 're"ent #all accidents %as greatl) increased t 13 h urs # #all 're"enti n training& %hich is deli"ered in the c urse # % r$ers a''renticeshi'* ,S-A
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im'r "ed the manner in %hich this training %as deli"ered b) inc r' rating 'r blem-s l"ing acti"ities and hands- n 'ractice* ,S-A als included ther e(ercises designed t gi"e c nstructi n % r$ers the c n#idence t re#use t % r$ under unsa#e c nditi ns* A#ter im'lementati n # the ne% curriculum b) ,S-A& # the !23 % r$ sites that %ere audited in a # ll %-u' e(ercise& their SAFR sc res %ere # und t ha"e increased signi#icantl)& #r m 4<5 t 345* 0 r$ers %h 'artici'ated in this sur"e) %ere # und t al%a)s %ear #all arrest gear that made them less li$el) t e('erience a c nstructi n #all related accident* Fall Prevention Technology ,S-As current % r$ c ncentrates n the e"aluati n # #all accidents 're"enti n techn l gies& inc r' rating the ne% and the ld* :ers nal #all arrest s)stems ha"e been # und t be a r utine in the % rld # c mmercial building& but in case # residential c nstructi n& the) are habituall) absent andA r rarel) used e"en %hen the) are there* There technical reas ns %h) the) are n t used are due t the challenge # #inding a secure anch r ' ints # r the #all arrest s)stem during c nstructi n .Bas$utas& !22</* 6 st # a''rentice8s c ntract rs and j urne)men ha"e ad" cated the use # a de"ice called a sa#et) b t that ##ers a sturd) 'lastic # ting # r 'r "isi nal guardrails* Sa#et) b t
ma$es it eas) t establish a secure im'ermanent railing t a" id #alls ## leading edges r #r m un'r tected #l r 'enings* These 'e 'le als e('ressed similar eagerness # r use # a hanging sca## ld %hich is m unted n cli's hanging "er the t '-'lates # a 'eri'heral %all* Installati n
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS 3
# a tem' rar) %al$%a) ma$es it eas) t access and it ##ers a s lid alternati"e t balancing n sca## lds and ladders* T ma$e c nstructi n sites c nduci"e and #ree #r m #all related accidents& all the sta$eh lders sh uld be a%are # the sa#et) ha+ards n the site* - %e"er& all the % r$ers n the site sh uld be e1ui''ed %ith the a''r 'riate 'ers nal 'r tecti"e e1ui'ments .::Es/ t enable them 'r tect and a" id chances # #alls* 0ith this ur c nstructi n sites %ill remain sa#e*
FALL-RELATED ACCIDENTS ?
References Dale A6& Li'sc mb -& and E"an ## C D!22?E* De"el 'ment # the St* L uis Audit # Fall Ris$sat Residential C nstructi n Sites* International Journal of Occupational and Environmenta Health 1=: !=7-<* Bas$utas F& Dale A6& N lan 9& :atters n D& Li'sc mb -& and E"an ## C D!22<E* Fall ha+ard c ntr l bser"ed n residential c nstructi n sites* American Journal of Industrial Medicine 4!:=<1-<<* Li'sc mb -& ;aal 9& Fuchs 6& E"an ## C& and Car'enters 9 int A''renticeshi' :r gram Instruct r Team D!212E* Changes in #all 're"enti n training # r a''rentice car'enters based n a c m'rehensi"e needs assessment* Journal of Safety Research =1: !!1-3*