How to Proactively Address Fall Hazards

Be proactive and seek out the information about changing regulations. Talk to suppliers, trade associations, tune into webinars — and share what you learn.

6) Alert your insurance company of the investment

When you install any safety equipment, call your liability risk carrier and have their representative come out and show them what you’ve done to eliminate risk.

“We typically find that customers see a 10% reduction on their liability coverage,” Pedersen says.

Things to consider

Fall protection equipment manufacturers have come a long way in providing better, more cost-effective systems.

“The technology addressing concerns on rescue, training system capabilities has come a long way,” Barnum says. “If companies have looked at fall protection in the past and thought it didn’t provide a positive impact on productivity or was cost-prohibitive, they really should take a look again and consider some of the newer developments that have come out.”

The highest priority, Barnum explains, is for a facility to eliminate the hazard. Secondly, he suggests companies provide some type of passive fall restraint in place as well.

“The tie-off system should be a last resort in any fall protection scenario, not the first line of defense,” he says. “We certainly start with trying to provide passive solutions or resolving the hazard though engineering.”

Regardless of which fall protection system a company chooses to use, the price of the equipment and the costs associated with its installation are much less than the cost of a violation — or, frankly, a life.

“Companies have finally realized that any money they spend on safety is an investment and it’s not an expense,” Pedersen says.