Personal security is a critical issue for the projects on construction sites, as the construction industry is one of the industries having high-risk environments. For the construction of high-rise structures, workers usually work on elevated platforms or greater heights. They use varied equipment or items, such as ladders, rope, anchors, etc. to stay in the heightened areas. A chance of an accident increases with increased height. Standing on dangerous platforms at heights have a high risk of falls, and serious injuries, and even fatalities.

Falling risk in the construction sites

The construction industry is considered a risk-industry from the perspective of personal accidents everywhere in the world.  In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (commonly known as OSHA) is entrusted with the responsibility of assuring workers’ health and safety. The OSHA has established the worker safety regulations that have to be followed mandatorily by both employer and the workers to prevent workplace accidents; OSHA standards are requirements for employers that make safety and health policies necessary for their workers. The OSHA is serious about workers’ safety issues for preventing worksite accidents, mainly due to falls from heights.

Fall protection and prevention and methods

Active fall in the construction industry is categorized into four types – fall arrest, positioning, suspension, and retrieval. Specific regulations are established for fall protection. The very objective of these regulations is workers’ utmost safety on the worksite. The primary focus is on the elimination of falls and fall fatalities. The implementation of these regulations is necessary when workers are working on height, mainly when they are working near an edge, such as working on a hole or pit, or a steep surface. Two things are crucial in this context – fall protection measures, and fall protection training.

  • Fall protection measures are protective methods employed to restrain, arrest, or prevent falling from heights. It is the use of controls designed to protect personnel from falling or in the event they do fall, to stop them without causing severe injury.
  • Fall protection training is helpful for workers to identify potential hazards of falling, and to know the measures required to reduce the dangers. Four levels of training include awareness, authorized-user, competent person, and qualified-person training.

The HLL systems – the ideal fall protection solutions

HLL

The OSHA approves fall protection systems in the United States. The OSHA-approved Horizontal lifeline (HLL) systems are excellent fall protection solutions. They are common to the work areas lacking existing anchor points for workers’ tie-off. The HLL limit the quantum of force and arrest a fall when used in combination with personal protective equipment (PPE). It is an effective solution against falls. The HLL system comprises a cable attached to two or more anchor points on a roof-top, bridge, crane runway, or construction site outdoors. It is placed and secured at the structure or overhead base, or somewhere between these points.

Overhead HLL

Overhead HLLs fall protection systems are OSHA compliant from the perspective of the workers’ safety. Overhead HLL allows workers to securely span long distances; they don’t need to stopover and re-attach to a new anchor point. Common examples of the overhead HLL include crane rail applications, rail yards, and loading areas.