One of the top reasons for workplace fatalities is that workers suffer serious injuries in falls. If you look at some industries, such as construction, falls are the number one reason for fatal accidents. This is why many workplaces use fall protection systems, striving to keep workers safe even on dangerous jobs.
There are two main types of systems companies use: Fall prevention and fall arrest. Let’s take a look at how they differ and how both of them can prevent serious accidents.
Passive fall prevention
A fall prevention system seeks to keep the fall from happening in the first place. An example of this is simply when there are rails around the top of a scaffolding so that workers cannot fall. Another example could be if a worker on a roof is attached to a tether. The tether is intentionally set so that it is too short for the worker to reach the edge of the roof. As long as the system works, a fall is impossible and no one gets hurt.
Fall arrest
With a fall arrest system, there is always a chance that the worker will fall from heights. But they may be wearing a harness that is connected to a rope or a belay system. If the worker falls, the idea is that the safety system will catch them before they strike the ground. The worker could still be injured, but it won’t be nearly as severe as if they fell all the way to a lower level.
Both of these systems can work, but not all workers have the correct protection on the job, and falls do still happen. Those who have been injured need to know about all of their legal options.