Analyzing Fall Hazards
After identifying an existing or potential fall hazard, it's important to analyze the hazard by looking at its unique characteristics. Two important fall-hazard characteristics to analyze to determine risk are probability and severity.
Determine Probability
The probability, or likelihood, that a hazard will cause a fall.
- Distance of the fall. A person in free-fall will accelerate until he or she reaches a terminal velocity of about 120 mph.
- Speed of deceleration. The faster you stop or decelerate at impact, the greater the impact forces on the body and severity of injury.
- Nature of the surface. The "hardness" of the surface upon which the worker falls affects the intensity of the impact and the severity of injury.
- Orientation of the body at impact. The severity of the injury also depends on the position of the body when it strikes the surface, and that is a matter of luck more than anything else.
Determine Severity
An important part of hazard analysis is to determine how severe an injury might be as a result of exposure to a hazard. Estimating the severity of an injury after a fall is difficult because it is depends on many variables. A basic rule regarding the severity of an injury after a fall is that, "it's not the fall that gets you, it's that sudden deceleration on impact."
- Distance of the fall. A person in free-fall will accelerate until he or she reaches a terminal velocity of about 120 mph.
- Speed of deceleration. The faster you stop or decelerate at impact, the greater the impact forces on the body and severity of injury.
- Nature of the surface. The "hardness" of the surface upon which the worker falls affects the intensity of the impact and the severity of injury.
- Orientation of the body at impact. The severity of the injury also depends on the position of the body when it strikes the surface, and that is a matter of luck more than anything else.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-3. Which two basic characteristics of a fall hazard do you analyze to determine risk?
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