Can My Fall Protection System Cause An Injury?

A fall in the workplace can result in serious injury or death (depending upon the situation).
So, fall protection systems are installed to avoid those potential outcomes. However, there are times that fall protection systems can cause injuries. The best way to avoid those injuries is to make sure that everyone in the workplace who uses the fall protection system understands the dangers of the system and how to reduce those risks.

Problem: Suspension Trauma

Suspension trauma is one of the most serious hazards that workers face post-fall arrest. Because suspension trauma has to do with the circulatory system, there is the possibility that a worker can die from this type of injury. If a worker doesn’t die, it’s still possible that the stress from suspension trauma could cause a worker to potentially suffer a heart attack or a stroke. Other potential injuries include kidney or brain damage from toxic blood re-entering the body.

Solution: Have a prompt rescue plan. The less time it takes to rescue a worker post fall arrest, the less likely the chances for serious suspension trauma injuries to occur.

Problem: Swing Fall

Swing falls are a very common cause of injury associated with fall protection systems. The forward momentum of a fall can cause a person to move with a pendulum like movement. And that pendulum motion can result in people bumping into things. The speed and angle at which workers fall and swing into their surroundings can result in cuts, bruises, sprains, broken bones, concussions, and (in very rare cases) death.  

Solution: Ideally, you want your anchorage point directly overhead at all times. The use of rigid horizontal overhead anchorage systems is money well invested by a company to keep workers mobile while minimizing swing fall hazards. 

Problem: Poorly Fitting Harness

If a harness doesn’t fit properly, there’s a good chance that a worker will suffer injury during or after a fall event. Aside from falling out of a harness that isn’t being worn properly, worker’s can also get bruises or cuts from a harness. Although these are not life altering injuries, they can be uncomfortable for workers. Any injury can potentially impact a worker’s ability to do their job effectively.

Solution: Training. By training workers how to wear their harness properly (and connect their harness to the rest of the fall protection equipment), worker’s will be far less likely to suffer bodily injury.

Problem: Hitting Another Object; Falling To A Lower Level; Or Falling Into Machinery, Storage Vats, Or Other Enclosed Spaces.

Depending upon the workspace, there may be more hazards beyond the dangers of the height. If the fall protection system in place is not suited for the specific protection application, there is the possibility that the worker can suffer bruising, sprains, broken bones, concussions, or death after hitting another object, falling to a lower level, or falling into equipment below their work space.

Solution: Proper equipment that’s positioned correctly. The best way to prevent workers from hitting anything unintentionally is to make sure that the system is positioned properly with equipment that is appropriate for the situation. Make sure that the fall arrest device and connection devices do not allow a worker to fall any distance into a path of other dangers. Conducting a thorough hazard analysis and taking very accurate measurements are critical pieces of information when you are selecting and installing a fall protection system. 

As the head of our engineering department always says, “The farther you fall, the more injury you’ll experience.” So, anything that you do to limit the fall distance for workers will, in turn, reduce the likelihood of injury.

Until the next time, stay safe up there!

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