Fall protection is often omitted as a result of poor planning: Report

The odds of using fall protection were 71% lower for individuals whose employers failed to plan, with subcontracted workers more at risk, according to the results of a survey released Thursday by the Center for Construction Research and Training.

Of 671 workers surveyed in 2021 about what is known as the deadliest safety lapse in the construction industry – failing to prevent falls using fall protection measures – 27.4% cited inadequate planning by employers as the primary cause of falls and 48.8% said no fall protection was used at the time of a fall.

Workers working for a subcontractor were 2.7 times more likely to die from a fall than those working for a general contractor, according to the findings.

Employees̵

7; perception of their company’s fall protection policy is strongly associated with their use of fall protection, with respondents who believed that fall protection was required eight times more likely to use it.

The study also found that rescue training can help reduce fall-related deaths: the odds of a fall being fatal were 76% lower for workers who had self-rescue training.

The American Society of Safety Professionals, which supported the survey, said it will use the findings to improve voluntary national consensus standards that guide safety on construction sites and many other workplaces.