The average American spends about 35 hours a week working. Since we spend so much time at work, it’s only natural that our workplaces are where many of us get injured.
Falls are one of the most common workplace injuries. Those who fall can experience long-term health effects, lost wages, or even death. A fall also causes indirect financial, productivity, and morale problems for businesses.
So, it is not only in your business’s best interest to prevent falls; it’s your responsibility. You can create a safer workplace with a fall protection system.
A fall protection system uses different methods or tools to prevent someone from falling or stop them if they do fall. But should you get one installed? Read on to learn how a fall protection system can benefit your business.
Table of Contents
1. Fall Protection Systems Save Lives
In 2019, falls were the second leading cause of workplace fatalities in the US. They accounted for 880 of 5,333 reported workplace fatalities that year. As a business owner, you have a responsibility to prevent tragedies from occurring.
These falls are often the result of poor fall prevention in the workplace. Poor safety combined with workplace fatigue creates a recipe for disaster. A fall protection system can be there just in case a worker slips and falls.
2. Helps Your Business Meet OSHA Requirements
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces standards to keep workers safe in the workplace. If you are reported or found not to be meeting expectations, your company can be fined per violation. These fines can add up quickly, hurting your business’s profit.
Since falls are such a huge cause of workplace injuries, OSHA has different regulations about safety measures that need to be in place for different workplace situations.
OSHA requires that for general industry, fall protection is a must for an elevation of four feet. These requirements vary by industry. For example, a roofing company would need to provide roof safety at six feet, as they fall into the construction category.
In addition to fall protection regulations, OSHA also requires employees receive fall protection training to help them stay safe in the workplace.
3. Prevents Medical Expenses
If a worker or other individual is injured at your workplace, you could be responsible for their injuries. Workplace injuries cost companies about $35 billion a year in medical expenses. You can prevent an injury from occurring and avoid having to pay costly medical bills.
4. Prevents Legal Trouble and Expenses
If a workplace fall injury occurs at your business, you won’t only be facing a fine from OSHA; you could be held responsible in court.
Workers then become eligible for workplace compensation to pay for their injuries and lost wages from being unable to work. Worker’s compensation is paid through the state or your worker’s compensation insurance company. But if your business was negligent and that negligence resulted in an injury, you could be sued in civil court.
A lawsuit or OSHA fine can damage your business’s reputation. Since your business reputation is everything, a lawsuit could get back to your clients or customers, making them think twice about working with your company in the future.
5. Reduces Insurance Premiums
Many roofing and construction companies must hold insurance that covers workplace injuries to perform work. Insurance premiums add to your business’s bottom line. So finding a way to reduce your premiums can help your business save money.
How much insurance companies charge your business for premiums and coverage is risk-based. If you implement safety measures that reduce the chances of injury, insurance companies can decrease your premiums.
So, installing a fall protection system can act as an investment. You can then make up the cost of the system in reduced insurance premium payments.
6. Improves Workplace Safety Overall
A fall protection system prevents falls, which makes your workplace safer, but that isn’t the only impact it can have on workplace safety.
Just having a fall protection system in place makes it more likely that employees will use it and follow proper OSHA procedures. It shows you care about your employees and that you take safety in your workplace seriously.
When you take safety seriously, your employees do too. This creates a workplace culture designed with injury prevention in mind.
7. Gives Employees Peace of Mind
Being up in a high place can cause anxiety for workers and is inherently risky. A roof protection system can ease your employee’s fear and make them more confident in their work.
You never know when an accident might occur, or something might go wrong at work. Having a system that will keep an employee from falling will allow them to feel protected if they slip.
It also demonstrates that your company cares about its employees and wants them to say safe. Your care will boost employee morale, satisfaction, and loyalty.
8. Prevents Productivity Loss
An employee injured during a fall will not be able to work, thus delaying projects and reducing productivity. You may have to spend time and money looking to hire a replacement to fill the injured worker’s position temporarily. A fall can also mean production has to stop or can hurt morale, impacting your business.
Also, some employees might refuse to work unless the proper safety measures are in place. As a result, work becomes delayed and your time is wasted, and expenses increase. Your business’s reputation can then also be damaged because you aren’t completing work on time.
So, proper fall production in place can help your business avoid these costly halts in production.
9. Designed to Meet Your Needs
Fall protection systems come in different forms. These include horizontal lifeline systems, anchors, fall arrest, and fall restraint systems.
Portable fall protections systems also exist. You can transport these systems offering fall protection where needed.
It’s best to research different fall protection systems and determine which is best for meeting your company’s safety needs.
Protect Your Employees With a Fall Protection System
With falls being such a common workplace injury, it’s best to do everything you can to keep your employees safe. After all, it is the responsibility of an owner or manager to ensure workplace conditions are safe for their employees. Installing a fall protection system is a great way to prevent costly or deadly workplace injuries.
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