Fall Protection Plan

Introduction

This written Fall Protection Plan is prepared by Company name for the prevention of injuries associated with falls. The plan is developed and evaluated for areas where work not involving conventional fall protection is being performed. Conventional fall protection includes the following:

• Guardrail systems;
• Safety net systems; or
• Personal fall protection systems, such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systems.

Jobsite affected

This Fall Protection Plan is specific for the following jobsite:

• Location of jobsite: Enter location
• Date plan prepared or modified: Enter date
• Plan prepared by the following qualified person: Name/title
• Plan approved by the following qualified person: Name/title
• Plan supervised by the following competent person: Name/title

A copy of this Fall Protection Plan, maintained up to date with approved changes, must be kept at the jobsite location listed above. Specifically, the plan is kept Enter location.

Notes:

Qualified person means one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

Competent person means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Statement of Company Policy

Company name is dedicated to the protection of its employees from on-the-job injuries. All employees have the responsibility to work safely on the job. The purpose of the Fall Protection Plan is to ensure that every employee who works for Company name  recognizes workplace fall hazards and takes the appropriate measures to address those hazards.

This plan identifies each jobsite area that requires non-conventional means of fall protection, where it is infeasible or it creates a greater hazard to use conventional fall protection systems for specific activities. The areas affected may include, but are not limited to those listed in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Areas Where Conventional Fall Protection Methods Cannot Be Used

Employees are not allowed to enter a Table 1 area unless they are listed in the table for that area.

In these areas, conventional fall protection systems may not always be the safest choice for employees. This plan is designated to recognize the fall hazards associated with this jobsite and to establish the safest procedures that are to be followed in order to prevent falls to lower levels.

Each employee will be trained in these procedures and will strictly adhere to them except when doing so would expose the employee to a greater hazard. If, in the employee’s opinion, this is the case, the employee is to notify the competent person (Name/title) of their concern and have the concern addressed before proceeding.

It is the responsibility of the competent person to implement this Fall Protection Plan. Continual observational safety checks of work operations and the enforcement of the safety policy and procedures shall be regularly enforced. The crew supervisor or foreman (Name/title) is responsible for correcting any unsafe practices or conditions immediately.

Company name is responsible, as an employer, for ensuring that all employees understand and adhere to the procedures of this plan and follow the instructions of the crew supervisor or foreman. It is also the responsibility of each employee to bring to management’s attention any unsafe or hazardous conditions or practices that may cause injury to either himself or herself or any other employees.

Any changes to the Fall Protection Plan must be approved by the qualified person (Name/title).

Conventional Fall Protection Considered

During the activities in the areas listed in Table 1, conventional fall protection is not feasible or may create a greater hazard to employees. For Table 1 areas and activities, conventional fall protection will not be provided, as discussed below.

Guardrail Systems

A guardrail system is a barrier erected along an unprotected or exposed side, edge, or other area of a walking-working surface to prevent employees from falling to a lower level. For Table 1 areas on this particular jobsite, guardrails Document the reasons why the use of guardrail systems is infeasible or why their use would create a greater hazard.

Safety Net Systems

Safety net systems must meet the requirements of 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M. However, the nature of this particular job precludes the use of safety nets where work in Table 1 areas must take place. Document the reasons why the use of safety net systems is infeasible or why their use would create a greater hazard.

Personal Fall Protection Systems

A personal fall protection system is a system (including all components) an employer uses to provide protection from falling or to safely arrest an employee’s fall if one occurs. Examples of personal fall protection systems in general industry include personal fall arrest systems, positioning systems, and travel restraint systems.

Despite the above options, for Table 1 areas on this particular jobsite, Document the reasons why the use of personal fall protection systems is infeasible or why their use would create a greater hazard.

Other Fall Protection Measures Considered

The following is a list and explanation of other fall protection measures available and an explanation of the extent to which they can be used to provide a safer working surface and thereby reduce or eliminate the hazard of falling when conventional fall protection systems cannot be provided.

On the other hand, if these other fall protection measures cannot be used, the following will explain the limitations for use on this particular jobsite in Table 1 areas. If during the course of the work the employee sees an area that could be safer by the use of these other fall protection measures, the crew supervisor or foreman should be notified.

Ladders

Discuss the extent or explain the limitations for the use of ladders.

Scaffolds

Discuss the extent or explain the limitations for the use of scaffolds.

 Vehicle-mounted Platforms

Discuss the extent or explain the limitations for the use of vehicle-mounted platforms.

Crane-suspended Personnel Platforms

Discuss the extent or explain the limitations for the use of crane-suspended personnel platforms.

 Fall Protection Systems to Be Used

For the areas listed in Table 1 where conventional fall protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard, we plan to do this work using other fall protection systems to reduce or eliminate the fall hazard for employees. This plan details what fall protection systems Name/title will implement for the areas and work activities listed in Table 1.

It should be noted that the work activities listed in Table 1 will be conducted by employees who are specifically trained to do the type of work and are trained to recognize the fall hazards. Only individuals with the appropriate experience, skills, and training will be authorized as designated to work in an area listed in Table 1.

What non-covered fall protection system(s) will you use other than safety monitoring systems and/or controlled access zones, for Table 1 areas? Enter a brief title for this section of the plan.

Exactly what non-conventional fall protection system(s) will you use other than safety monitoring systems and/or controlled access zones, for Table 1 areas? Discuss the non-conventional systems and procedures for their use?

Safety Monitoring System

Where conventional fall protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard and a safety monitoring system is indicated in Table 1 for the area and work activity, we will do the work using a safety monitoring system and expose only a minimum number of employees for the time necessary to actually accomplish the work.

A safety monitoring system is a fall protection system in which a competent person is responsible for recognizing and warning employees of fall hazards. The duties of the safety monitor are to:

• Be competent in recognizing fall hazards.
• Warn employees when they appear to be unaware of a fall hazard or are acting in an unsafe manner.
• Be on the same walking-working surface as the monitored employees and within visual sighting distance of the monitored employees.
• Be close enough to communicate orally with the employees.
• Not allow other responsibilities to encumber his or her monitoring responsibility. If the monitor will become too encumbered with other responsibilities, the monitor shall List procedures.

The maximum number of employees to be monitored by one safety monitor is Enter number. We are designating the following competent person(s) as safety monitor(s): Name/title. The safety monitor and the remaining designated employees indicated in Table 1 for the area and work activities protected by a safety monitor system are permitted to enter the indicated area and work without the use of conventional fall protection. No other employee shall be allowed in an area protected by a safety monitor system.

The safety monitor shall be identified by Describe identification method, e.g., orange-colored garment such as arm band, hard hat, or vest. The designated employees will be identified by Describe identification method, e.g., blue-colored garment such as arm band, hard hat, or vest.

Mechanical equipment shall not be used or stored in areas where safety monitoring systems are being used to monitor employees engaged in roofing operations on low-slope roofs.

Controlled Access Zones

A controlled access zone (CAZ) is an area designated and clearly marked, in which the work may take place without the use of conventional fall protection to protect the employees in the area. Access to the CAZ is controlled, which means employees are protected through limited access to the area.

Under this Fall Protection Plan, the areas listed in Table 1 cannot use conventional fall protection. Therefore, for each Table 1 area, before any non-conventional fall protection systems are used as part of the work plan, Name/title shall take the following steps to ensure that each CAZ for the area is clearly defined and controlled:

• The CAZ shall be clearly defined by a means that restricts access. Such demarcation of the CAZ shall be through Describe demarcation method, e.g., signs, wires, barricade tape, ropes, chains, or equivalent materials and supporting stanchions. What specific details or procedures can you provide regarding CAZ demarcation? See the specific provisions for controlled access zones under §1926.502(g)(1) to (5), depending on the type of work being performed.
• The competent person shall ensure that all protective elements of the CAZ are implemented prior to the beginning of work.
• All access to the CAZ must be restricted to authorized entrants.
• All workers who are permitted in the CAZ shall be listed in the appropriate rows of Table 1 prior to implementation.

What further details or procedures can you provide (if any) for controlled access zones? Discuss. This question provides space to enter any further discussion on CAZ based on §1926.502(g)(1) to (5) that may not have been covered by the Fall Protection Plan yet.

Employee Training

All employees who might be exposed to fall hazards, whether designated in Table 1 or not, shall have been initially trained and instructed, as necessary, in fall and equipment hazards (see §1910.30).

The information and training is provided in a manner that each employee can understand.

When Company name has reason to believe that any affected employee who has already been trained does not have the understanding and skill required, we shall retrain each such employee. Circumstances where retraining is required include, but are not limited to, situations where:

• Changes in the worksite render previous training obsolete or inadequate,
• Changes in the types of fall protection systems or equipment to be used render previous training obsolete or inadequate, or
• Inadequacies in an affected employee’s knowledge or use of fall protection systems or equipment indicate that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill necessary to use equipment or perform the job safely.

Initial training and retraining is provided by Name/title, who is qualified in the training topics. What training certificates and/or training records do you keep relating to fall protection training and retraining, if any? Discuss. This question is optional and merely gives space in the plan to address training certificates and training records, if any.

Enforcement

Constant awareness of and respect for fall hazards and compliance with all safety rules are considered conditions of employment. The crew supervisor or foreman, as well as Company name and the Personnel Department, reserve the right to issue disciplinary warnings to employees, up to and including termination, for failure to follow the guidelines of this plan.

Accident Investigations

All events that result in an employee fall, or some other related serious incident, regardless of their nature, shall be reported to Name/title and investigated by Name/title. It is an integral part of any safety effort that documentation takes place as soon as possible so that the cause and means of prevention can be identified to prevent a reoccurrence.

In the event that an employee falls or there is some other related, serious incident that occurred, this plan shall be reviewed by Name/title to determine if additional practices, procedures, or training need to be implemented to prevent similar types of falls or incidents from occurring.

Changes to the Plan

Any necessary changes to the plan will be made and approved by Name/title. This plan shall also be reviewed by Name/title as the job progresses to determine if additional practices, procedures, or training need to be implemented by Name/title to improve or provide additional fall protection. Employees shall be notified by Name/title and trained by Name/title in the new procedures, if necessary. A copy of this plan and all approved changes shall be maintained at the jobsite.