Construction workers often get injured in falls. To some degree, this is an inherent risk that they face in their industry. Anyone who has to work at heights or on ladders has some risk of falling and suffering serious injuries – such as spinal cord injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and more.
As such, construction companies often use fall protection systems to keep them safe. These aren’t perfect, which is why falls are always the No. 1 reason for fatal construction accidents. But they can help, so it’s important to understand how the most common systems work.
Fall prevention and travel restraint
First, some systems try to keep a fall from ever happening. The simplest example of this is a fence. A scaffold system may have fences or railings built in so that it is virtually impossible for someone to fall.
A travel restraint system is similar in that it keeps the worker away from dangerous areas. An example could be a rope tether that the worker has to wear with a harness. The tether is short enough that the worker can’t walk to the edge of the roof, so a fall is impossible.
Fall arrest
The second type of system is a fall arrest system, which seeks to limit injuries and prevent fatalities by stopping a fall that has occurred. For instance, a roofer may have a harness with a rope. He or she still needs to approach the edge of the roof, so a fall is theoretically possible. If it happens, though, the rope catches the person before they hit the ground.
Injuries can still happen, even with these systems in place. Injured workers must understand their legal rights.