FALL PROTECTION: LEGAL PROVISIONS
FALL PROTECTION LEGAL PROVISIONS REQUIRE MEASURES TO BE PUT IN PLACE
In industry as well as in building construction and civil engineering, work often has to be carried out at a precarious drop heights. If inadequate safety measures are taken, there is of course a risk of falling – and in the worst case, this can result in serious injuries or even more serious consequences. Consequently, it is not at the discretion of the employer or building operator whether an effective fall protection system is set up for cleaning, maintenance and construction work at great heights and what this actually looks like. Rather, such risky work is subject to legal provisions that must be implemented. General and specific regulations and standards on fall protection are defined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Ordinance on Industrial Health and Safety, the Technical Rules for Operational Safety and the Workplace Directive, among others. The latter contains, for example, the fundamental legal provision according to which a drop height of more than one meter already constitutes a fall hazard. As of this level, the installation of a railing is mandatory. Depending on the respective drop height, the railing must also have a specific minimum height and withstand a specific maximum horizontal load. Special regulations also apply to work on roofs with regard to fall protection.
FALL PROTECTION: REGULATIONS DEMONSTRABLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AT WORK
A glance at the statistics shows that professional fall protection and, ultimately, the legal provisions have the desired effect. While there were still 918 serious fatal accidents at work in 2000, the figure was only 399 in 2020 – significantly less than half. It is therefore worth gaining more detailed information about the measures that are advisable or mandatory in your business and then implementing them accordingly. This is the only way you can guarantee your employees an all-round safe working environment.
LECHTALER: THE EXPERT FOR EFFECTIVE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
With LECHTALER’s innovative products, you can ensure that your employees benefit from effective fall protection when working at great heights. As a long-standing expert in collective and personal occupational safety, we have a wealth of expertise that we incorporate into the development and production of our highly professional protective equipment. Regardless of whether you need scaffolding, guardrails, body harnesses, anchor points or other equipment for your business: we can help you find the right fall protection product and maximise safety in your company. Please contact us if you require detailed guidance.