Analyze Fall Hazards
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4.2 percent of all oil and gas workers are hurt on the job each year. Falls consistently account for the a large number of oil and gas worker fatalities. Workers frequently fall from elevated rig areas from the rig floor to grade below. In some cases, openings lacked safety structures, or safeguards failed to secure workers to the rig. Fall accidents can also be the result of:
- harness failure or improper rigging methods,
- tripping over chemicals or tools
- being struck by tools and equipment, or
- unstable or slippery working surfaces
Studies have shown that using guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers and restraint systems can prevent many deaths and injuries from falls.
Analyze the wellsite project for fall hazards to identify tasks that require fall protection and how it must be used.
Once you have identified the specific fall hazards on the worksite, use the Fall Protection Hierarchy of Controls (HOC) to eliminate or reduce those hazards.
In descending order of preference, the hierarchy of controls for fall protection is as follows:
- Elimination or substitution. Examples: Eliminate a hazard by lowering the work surface to ground level. Substitute a hazard by moving a process, sequence, or procedure to a different location so that workers no longer approach a fall hazard.
- Passive fall protection. Isolate or separate the hazard or work practice from workers through the use of guardrails or covers over exposed floor openings.
- Fall restraint. Secure the worker to an anchor using a lanyard short enough to prevent the worker’s center of mass from reaching the fall hazard.
- Fall arrest. This includes systems designed to stop a worker’s fall after a fall has begun.
- Administrative controls. These work practices or procedures signal or warn a worker to avoid approaching a fall hazard. For example a person may be appointed to monitor work around fall hazards.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-9. What Fall Protection Hierarchy of Control strategy isolates or separates the hazard through the use of guardrails or covers over exposed floor openings?
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