SAFETY MOMENT, JANUARY 27

Inspect your harness before every use

See today's safety moment How to give a safety moment

Safety moment, January 27

A fall from height can kill you or change your life for good, and it happens in a split second. Falls come from unsafe conditions, like an open edge or a loose cover, and from unsafe acts, like unhooking to reach one more spot. Protection only works if it is set up before the work starts and used every time.

SAFETY MOMENT

January 27

The hazard

A fall from height can kill you or change your life for good, and it happens in a split second. Falls come from unsafe conditions, like an open edge or a loose cover, and from unsafe acts, like unhooking to reach one more spot. Protection only works if it is set up before the work starts and used every time.

The action

Your personal fall arrest system is made up of an anchorage, connectors and a body harness, and it may include a lanyard, lifeline or deceleration device (29 CFR 1926.500(b)). It must be inspected before each use for wear, damage and other deterioration, and defective parts must be removed from service. Look for cut or frayed webbing, burn marks, and hooks that do not close and lock. Fall arrest stops you after you fall, while a restraint setup keeps you from reaching the edge at all. (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(21))

ASK THE CREW

Which anchor points are we using, and how do we know they are strong enough?

From the talk: Fall protection. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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