agchouston.org Spring 2025 Cornerstone 23 pressing hard to stick to their timelines, but Mason says this is not only an OSHA requirement — it’s also an excellent opportunity to increase worker buy-in. “One of the pitfalls of safety programs is if we catch a worker doing something wrong, we don’t always stop to retrain,” she explained. “We often don’t take the time because we have a busy job to do. We’d rather just tell that guy, ‘Hey, don’t do that,’ and keep going, but you are expected to stop and retrain when you find non-compliance or lack of understanding.” Mason believes in the importance of making sure all workers have an opportunity to understand and ask questions, and they are given the chance to speak up. Strategies for Fall Protection One common safety concern on job- sites that requires careful attention is fall prevention. According to Ryan Falterman, territory sales manager for the Southern Region at MSA, falls are usually preventable. For safer jobsites, Falterman preaches the Hierarchy of Fall Prevention, devel- oped by the American National Stan- dards Institute (ANSI). There are five key elements in this hierarchy, which outline the preferred order of action to eliminate or reduce fall hazards. 1. Hazard Elimination The most effective solution to prevent fall hazards is taking steps to eliminate them in the first place. For instance, consider whether equipment could be located indoors or on the ground instead of on the edge of a roof. “If you can, it’s best to eliminate the risk entirely,” said Falterman. 2. Passive Fall Protection Passive fall protection occurs when phys- ical barriers such as guardrails or hole covers are used to reduce the possibility of a mistake that could result in a fall. While this approach is less desirable than eliminating the hazard altogether, passive fall protection is generally considered to be safer than relying only on personal protective equipment. 3. Fall Restraint Systems The third most effective way to man- age fall hazards is to use fall restraint systems. These systems prevent workers from physically reaching the fall hazard and are preferred over fall arrest sys- tems, as they eliminate many potential risks such as arresting forces, clearance requirements, secondary injuries and rescue issues. 4. Fall Arrest Systems If none of the previous three options can be used in a certain situation, fall arrest systems should be implemented. However, as previously stated, these systems have a higher level of risk, and great care must be taken to ensure the falling worker isn’t stopped with too much force or that they make contact with either the surrounding structure or the ground. 5. Administrative Controls The least effective method of preventing falls is relying on administrative con- trols, which are workplace practices or procedures to simply increase a worker’s awareness of a fall hazard. These con- trols are the least preferred method of protection because they don’t provide a physical source of protection, which means a fall could still occur. In conjunction with this hierarchy, Falterman recommends ongoing work- place monitoring and regular employee education. Proper inspections should be done on all fall protection methods used at a site, and employees must be equipped with the proper fall protec- tion for their line of work. Additionally, reinforcing knowledge through monthly toolbox talks on the importance of fall protection is key. “It’s the responsibility of the employer and worker to make sure they’re using proper fall protection when working at elevated heights,” Falterman said. “GCs need to make sure their employees are properly trained and understand the limitations of fall protection.” Falterman added that it’s important to look at the situation holistically and cover all the risks. For instance, someone using fall protection would also want to protect their head, and for someone working in a tight or enclosed space, respiratory protection is important. Infusing Safety into the Work Site Safety is certainly a crucial component of any jobsite, with a huge impact on worker wellbeing as well as business longevity. While workplace safety is a complicated, multi-faceted issue, Davis affirms that if GCs stay aggressive and on top of it while being cognizant of com- pliance, it’s not difficult to implement a strong safety culture. Davis concluded, “Usually, the people who resist and don’t have a safe jobsite aren’t around very long. The ones that are succeeding, the ones that are doing well, are the ones that truly understand safety and how important it is. Safety is important to everybody — primarily the worker, yes, but it’s also a protection to the company, to their jobs and every- thing else because if all of their workers are getting injured or worse, there’s not going to be a company to work for. To me, it’s important to embrace safety.” Safety standards protect not only the individual workers but also the company’s financial position.
