Survival Guide

Can fall-protection training save lives? A case report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health illustrates the dire consequences

Can fall-protection training save lives? A case report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health illustrates the dire consequences of a lack of safety awareness:

While working inside a 172-ft.-high concrete silo, a 27-year-old cement finisher lost his balance and fell from the scaffolding. His fall-protection equipment Û a safety lanyard Û arrested the fall, then snapped. The worker fell to his death, 160 feet below. When the lanyard was examined, burn damage was discovered at the severance point. The damage, which probably occurred during welding or burning operations from a previous job, was overlooked due to a failure to examine the fall-protection equipment prior to use.

People often say Îknowledge is power,Ì Mancomm President Benjamin Mangan observes, but there’s more to it than that. When it comes to fall protection, Îknowledge is survival.Ì