Fall Protection Training
Workers need to know about workplace hazards to which they may be exposed, how to recognize the hazards, and how to minimize their exposure.
The best way for them to learn is through training. Training ensures that they know about the hazards and can demonstrate how to protect themselves from falling.
Employers: Your Responsibility
Workers who could be exposed to fall hazards must be trained to recognize the hazards and to know the procedures that minimize the hazards. All employees must prove they understand and can properly use, care for, and detect defects in fall protection equipment. The only way to do that is to demonstrate adequate knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to a competent person.
If you're an employer, you're responsible for ensuring that your employees can recognize fall hazards and they know how to protect themselves before they're exposed to the hazards. When the hazards to which employees are exposed change, you can't assume they know how to protect themselves from falls. If they're starting work on a new site, for example, they might not recognize fall hazards or know how to protect themselves unless you train them.
A Word About Qualifications
Don't assume an OSHA 10- or 30-Hour training card somehow magically qualifies an employee to do anything, especially to work at elevation or train fall protection: OSHA will tell you it doesn't. Make sure you require each new employee to prove they can use fall protection correctly by demonstrating adequate knowledge and skills before allowing them to work above heights requiring fall protection.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
7-1. What must the employer do before allowing a new employee to use fall protection equipment on the job?
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