Preventing Falls from Equipment and Bridges

Employers must provide fall protection for everyone on the job and make sure all walking and working surfaces will safely support the employees. The first step in providing fall protection and complying with the standard is the development and communication of a fall protection program. The purpose of the program is to identify, manage and control the fall hazards by eliminating them with fall prevention methods. When this is not possible, contractors must install or provide fall protection systems to guard against falls from elevation. This written program needs to address how the employer will manage and control the existing fall hazards. The written program can be very detailed or rather simple and direct, depending on the contractors’ needs.