Figuring out falls | FocusAmbika Puniani Bailey
Everyone in the roofing industry knows there are risks involved
with working on roofs. And one of the most common risks is worker
falls. To learn how to better prevent falls and gather data about
falls, NRCA has partnered with the National Safety Council (NSC) to
undertake an 18-month study of risk factors associated with
roofing-related falls.
According to NSC, lack of fall protection is the most common
safety violation in the roofing industry, and a look at the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection records
from 1992-95 shows more than 35 percent of falls in the
construction industry involve a lack of fall protection. Armed with
this knowledge, NSC’s and NRCA’s goal is for the study
to provide a database of loss-control efforts; identify risk
factors associated with falls and how potential risk factors are
related to specific scenarios; identify risk factors that have the
most effect on the probability and/or severity of falls; evaluate
and refine existing and proposed fall-protection methods, training
programs, personal protective equipment design specifications, and
regulatory standards and guidelines; and influence building design
and building code groups. This data will be used to develop
training, educational and management tools for roofing
contractors.
To help NRCA and NSC reach these objectives, NRCA is asking
contractors to voluntarily participate in the study. Participants
will be asked to call NSC whenever a fall or nearly missed fall
occurs and answer a few questions related to the incident. (Nearly
missed falls include incidents where an imminent fall was avoided
by an intervening factor.) Participants will be asked questions
about the nature of the fall, worker experience, fall protection,
roof system type, time and date of the fall, and weather
conditions.
All information gathered will be confidential—no company
names, worker names, business locations or job...
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