Understanding the Use of Fall Protection in Warehouse Settings
The science behind fall protection is what lifts people to new heights.
- By Carly Engels Johnston, Heidi Lopez-Hidalgo
- Oct 01, 2021
When was the last time you were in a big warehouse stocked with stuff? Think of those big shelves that extend floor to ceiling like you might see at wholesale stores or home improvement chains. Inventory is stacked on every level. How do you access these goods?
Often, in these large-scale warehouses, employees use fall protection when using a man-up lift which is needed to reach inventory on top shelves. This type of work is typically called order picking. Order pickers typically get on and off their order picker truck multiple times during a shift causing multiple hook up events for their fall protection system. With these multiple hook-up events, it is easy to forget to connect yourself at times when navigating these order picking duties. Forgetting to hook up to the fall protection system can leave the worker exposed to a fall hazard at height unknowingly.
Employers should try to improve worker safety without compromising productivity. This applies to all types of situations, but especially tasks and jobs that involve the use of fall protection equipment. Distractions or even a swift work pace can cause an order picker operator to simply forget to connect his/her fall protection equipment—potentially exposing the operator to a dangerous fall hazard.
Employers and safety managers need to help mitigate operator falling hazards where multiple on/off events throughout a worker’s shift increase the risk of “forgetting” to hook-up. Also, lack of compliance in this area can increase turnover rates and training costs.
Luckily, fall protection technology is advancing to incorporate the digital age. There are innovative fall protection solutions out there that can help improve order picker hook-up compliance in real-time. These new systems offer safety features to help operators reduce their risk when working at height. For instance, these systems can help provide:
- Detection if a worker is on an order picker platform and not tied-off to his/her fall protection system.
- Visual and audible alerts to remind the worker in the case he/she are on the order picker and not tied-off to his/her fall protection system.
- Clear visual confirmation to the worker of secure self-retracting lifeline (SRL) connection to a user’s harness back D-ring. Lights indicate a worker’s tie off status from a distance so peers and safety management can observe.
What is more, fall protection is not just static anymore.
This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.