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Although this article lists several fall hazards and solutions, creating a hazard-free workplace involves more than checking boxes. It requires a proactive approach to addressing safety concerns. With slip and fall risks lurking in every industry, investing in comprehensive safety solutions can safeguard workers, comply with regulations, and help organizations boost productivity.
These safety solutions often involve modular structures built from strong, durable, corrosion-resistant aluminum or galvanized steel frames and railings. Using pipe-fitted components enables easy installation without expensive welding or drilling. The modular designs allow for intelligent, customized solutions without the high price tag of “custom-engineered.”
By integrating these types of rooftop fall protection systems, safe access solutions, interior safeguards, and proper training, businesses can create environments where employees thrive and minimize risks.
The rooftop is an obvious hazard zone, so what are workers doing there? They inspect and maintain heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), and other building services equipment, repair leaks and storm damage, clean snow and debris, and install and service lighting, communications equipment, and solar panels. So, when are workers not on the roof?
Employers can protect their workers and comply with regulations by installing site-specific rooftop fall protection equipment:
Getting in on the ground floor means joining a start-up business or investing in a new venture; however, there are risks. Getting into the building itself should not entail risks, whether a person uses a wheelchair, has restricted mobility, or brings in packages.
A modular access ramp enables organizations to comply with the Accessible Canada Act and provincial regulations to help create a barrier-free environment. It can be installed with new construction or retrofitted to existing structures and offers almost unlimited configurations using ramps, steps, and platforms. Ramp surfaces are non-slip and self-draining. PVC handrail tubes are “warm-to-the-touch.”
Once an employee is in on the ground floor, there are various ways to gain promotions and advance within the organization, like solving problems, inspiring colleagues, and being the skip on the curling team. To reach elevated heights in a commercial, institutional, or industrial facility, a more tangible asset is needed, such as a work access platform to enhance worker stability and efficiency.
Modular work platforms are ideal for a wide range of production, monitoring, maintenance, inspection, and other tasks to access:
Singer-songwriter Randy Newman composed “It’s a Jungle Out There,” but indoors at the workplace can be a wilderness of hazardous confined spaces and high-traffic zones, where collisions with forklifts and other moving vehicles are constant dangers.
A modular rigid rail assembly enables workers to reach confined spaces from overhead with ample fall protection. It is a track-and-trolley system with a self-retracting lifeline (SRL) that stops a fall with a shorter drop. Various mounting options are available, and it installs fast and easily using standard tools and lifting devices. There is minimum disruption to operations, and the flexibility of the modular design allows the assembly to be moved and re-configured.
The risks of harming people, equipment, inventory, and the facility against vehicular collisions can be minimized by installing metal safety barriers powder-coated in high-visibility, “safety yellow.” Examples include:
The interior of a facility also contains fall hazards such as stairs, hatches, and walkways, as well as restricted areas where entry and exit must be clearly defined. A self-closing safety gate features a spring-loaded mechanism that closes the gate automatically once a worker passes through.
Gates are extensively tested for corrosion resistance and to surpass 50,000 open-close cycles. They are available in single-width, double-width, and double-height sizes and can be installed easily on round or square surfaces, integrating seamlessly into guardrail systems.
Fall protection systems and other safety equipment will do wonders for worker confidence and morale, operational efficiency and productivity, and regulatory compliance—with a “big if.”
“If” there is also qualified worker training to understand the workplace hazards and regulatory standards and develop the skills to work at heights and to use, wear, and inspect equipment correctly. Fortunately, there is an extensive amount of training available, no “ifs, ands, and buts,”
Kee Safety: Your Fall Protection Experts
Kee Safety is the world’s leading fall protection expert. We engineer, manufacture and install fall protection solutions that safely separate people from hazards. Our OH&S-compliant products and systems are third-party tested and trusted to ensure consistent performance at the highest level.