Working Up High Requires Safety Protection for Workers
Many occupations require workers to perform tasks in high places for potentially extended periods of time. The higher the job site, the more important it becomes to protect workers against potential falls that could cause serious injuries or death. Construction workers, lighting technicians, wind turbine technicians, and many others work from elevated positions for extended periods of time, which makes it especially important to protect against falls.
Federal law requires protection for workers when they are up high above the ground or water. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires safety nets to protect workers against injuries or death when they are working 25 or more feet above the ground or surface of water when it’s impractical to use scaffolds, ladders, and other safety equipment. Worksites that violate the OSHA requirement could be shut down until the safety nets are installed.
Safety Nets Have a History of Saving Workers
The use of a safety net for fall protection is a proven way to help workers survive falls from high places. Even circus performers use them to ensure they don’t suffer life-threatening injuries. Properly installed and maintained safety nets have saved countless lives and prevented even more serious injuries over the years.
One of the first documented instances of safety net use to protect workers is the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Work on the bridge started in 1933, and safety was maintained by requiring workers to wear hard hats, wind goggles, and headlamps when working in darkened areas. Those who applied paint to the bridge’s exposed surfaces also wore respirators, which was especially important since paint in those days contained lead.
Safety nets also were used to protect workers who were erecting the Golden Gate Bridge. Installing nets to prevent workers from falling to their deaths meant only one person died working on the bridge until a scaffolding accident occurred in February 1937. That’s when scaffolding holding up 10 men gave way and broke through the safety netting below. All 10 workers died, but safety netting had already proven its value in saving lives.
Containment Netting Helps to Catch Falling Objects
Falling objects are another potential danger for workers and bystanders. Containment netting helps to stop objects from falling onto people down below at work sites and other locations. They keep objects contained instead of enabling them to fall and injure or kill workers or others. That’s why many construction sites have netting wrapped around sections that lack walls until they eventually are put in place and keep things contained inside them.
Warehouses also make good use of netting to prevent workplace injuries and loss of stock. Well-placed warehouse netting stops fragile items from falling to the floor and breaking. Liquids inside glass bottles are a good example of items that could fall and cause injuries if they strike people and create dangerous conditions even when they don’t. Broken fragments of glass on a floor could seriously injure a worker or others who might not see it and step on broken glass or slip, fall, and land on it.
Warehouse netting also helps minimize stock loss by catching items that might fall and become damaged. Instead of suffering a product-ending fall, the netting keeps it contained where the product can be retrieved and eventually made available for sale or use in some project. The netting protects workers and stock alike while making a warehouse safer for workers and others.
Also Read: What Are Essential Tips for Garage Door Safety for Kids?
Netting Requires Maintenance for Maximum Safety
It’s important to note that netting doesn’t just go up and do its job for as long as it’s in place. Safety netting requires maintenance to stay in good condition and do its job as intended. Daily inspections can identify any damage or degradation that netting might endure over time. Mending or replacing damaged netting helps to ensure the workplace is as safe as possible.
Workers and managers also should inspect netting to ensure it’s secured safely and won’t give way if someone or something falls into it. Loose and improperly secured netting won’t do its job, but taking a few minutes every day to inspect the netting will help ensure it protects as intended.
