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However, new numbers coming in from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that New York City workers are the victims of workplace fatalities at a new high.

Despite genie lift certification, boom lift training and scissor lift safety training being enforced in New York City construction workplaces, worker fatalities and injuries are at an all time high. According to the number, sixty-three workers were killed in New York City workplaces in 2009. This number leapt to sixty-eight fatalities in the year 2011.

Despite appropriate aerial lift training, deaths continue to occur as part of an upward trend in these New York City construction sites. Authorities claim that the reasons for the upward swing are not necessarily easy to explain. Economic stress leads to tighter deadlines as well as worker distraction. Job cuts cause competition and distraction in New York City workplaces like never before.

Despite appropriate scissor lift safety training and other training measures, it’s difficult to stop an employee’s stress when he is worried about whether or not he will keep his job. These distractions coupled with varying and harsh weather conditions, a climate of hostility due to financial implications and tighter deadlines, and the ever-present stress of a visit from OSHA inspectors may make an employee forget his or her genie lift certification training.

Employers can cushion distractions and reinforce training methodology by continuously offering refresher courses in OSHA aerial lift training. These courses should include refreshers in genie lift, scissor lift and boom lift training on the job. Employees operating heavy machinery should receive both hands-on and hands-off refresher training while on the job.

New York City isn’t the only place in the US affected by harsh economic times and winter weather conditions. Though fatality and injury numbers aren’t generally on the rise, these are tough times for all workers. There is talk of a city-wide effort underway to help employers offer refresher training and keep employees abreast of the best ways to stay safe within the workplace. Employees who require OSHA aerial lift training are handling aerial lifts of all sizes and functions, and may also require genie lift certification, boom lift training and scissor lift training certification.

It’s important to interact with your employees regularly to ensure that training standards are kept up, and to maximize morale within the workplace. This can help minimize distractions that lead to accident or injury. It’s also important for employers to have an open door policy for employees, as well as continuously transmit OSHA aerial lift training standards to employees.

Learn more about these standards and ensure that your employees are adequately protected in volatile economic and climate conditions by visiting certifymeonline.net. The tools, tips and regulatory coursework to help your employees succeed is available online.

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Rogelio Lowe, also known as Roger Lowe, 44, of Thornton, also must serve three months of home confinement and 300 hours of community service. Indicted in October 2009 on 11 counts of mail fraud and false statements, Lowe pleaded guilty in July to two counts of mail fraud.

Lowe operated E&D Environmental Safety Training Inc. on Industrial Boulevard in Hayward. He admitted in his plea agreement that from 2007 through 2009 he defrauded his paying students by giving them classes that didn’t comply with federal law.

Asbestos, a building material classified as a hazardous substance and known carcinogen, can only be removed by someone who has completed a four-day, 32-hour training course including lectures, demonstration, at least 14 hours of hands-on training and individual respirator fit testing. The student must then pass a closed-book examination, and after receiving a certificate, must take an annual refresher course.

Lowe admitted in his plea deal that he didn’t teach the course for the required number of hours; held classes that were no more than 30 minutes in length; provided answers to the closed-book examinations; and forged tests for students that did not attend a test day. He then issued certificates to students and charged their employers accordingly,

both for initial training and refresher courses. He also submitted rosters of the inadequately trained students to state authorities.

Who is the Trainer?

It is best to plan for classroom training as well as hands-on, on-the-job training. More than one person can conduct training, as long as the trainer is specifically qualified to do so. Most organizations have one person or team handle the various aspects of training for new employees, as well as keeping current employees up to standard.

You may also want to hire an outside person to train your employees. Third-party training consultants may include:

• Forklift suppliers
• Third-party, independent compliance consultants
• Trade organizations or specialized training schools
• NSC (National Safety Council)

No matter who trains your operators, you must evaluate their performance and ensure they know and follow safety guidelines. Additionally, and this is very important – you must keep records of these evaluations for any of your employees who operate forklifts. Failing to present adequate certification paperwork will result in an OSHA violation.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Employee Certification

In many instances, your company will not be the one to train your employees initially. As a result, you may have a number of operators whose training has originated from different sources.

Regardless of whether or not your company has trained your operators or they’ve received training from an outside source, including a union, training organization, previous experience or a temp agency, you need to demonstrate a training certification record. This goes for ALL employees.

Here are some rules of thumb:

• If you outsource training to a temp agency, be able to present a contract of the training process, as well as certificates for each operator.
• If your operators have been working with you for many years, you don’t need to retrain. However, you still need to ensure they’re properly evaluated and certified. Have your trainer work with the operator using his current work routines to ensure proper safety guidelines are followed. REMEMBER TO EVALUATE AND CERTIFY!

• If a Union has trained an operator, have your evaluator observe the operator, issue training on any issues he sees fit, and document everything before certifying him.

Please note that any employee, regardless of their time with your company, must be re-trained if he uses a new, unfamiliar piece of equipment. You must be able to demonstrate your employees are safety-trained on all equipment they use.

______________________________________________________________________________

If lifts or other aerial devices are being operated in your workplace, you need to ensure that the proper precautions are taken so that an employee doesn’t fall.

When beginning a fall avoidance training program for your employees, one of the first things you should consider is whether or not the equipment you are using in your business meets your needs.

Is the equipment easy enough to keep clean, and up-to-date? Is it safe for your employees to use, and do you have a regular method of ensuring that safety within your workplace?

If the answer is no, you may need to consider updating your equipment. In fact, you should have a regular update schedule as part of your documented training efforts. Make sure that you check equipment regularly, and make note of the condition of the equipment in your documentation.

Fall Restraint and Arrest

A Fall restraint is a device that can either be a rail, or a tethering or harnessing device. This device will stop your employee from reaching the Fall Hazard. For instance, if your employee is working on a sloped roof, the fall hazard is the non-sturdy area at the edge of the roof that could cause a dangerous fall.

Guard rails and harnesses prevent your employees from potential harm, so they’re a very important part of your training program.

OSHA guidelines detail the concept of Fall Arrest. A Fall Arrest system should stop your employees from falling if they get too close to the fall hazard area.  OSHA Guideline ANSI A92.5-2006 states:

2 Fall Arrest System.

• An anchorage, full body harness and a lanyard used to arrest an

employee in a fall from an aerial platform. Such systems allow a fall

over the guardrail system. The force applied to the body shall be

limited to 1,800 lbs. (8,000N).

• (2.1) A fall arrest system shall allow workers to move around the

platform but provide a minimum of lanyard slack.

• (2.2) A fall arrest system for aerial lifts shall include a lanyard

and full body harness. A deceleration device if used will not allow

a fall further than that required to arrest the fall without

exceeding 1800 lbs. of force on the worker. Fall arrest systems,

beyond the anchorage, are not part of the aerial work platform

and are to be specified and supplied by the user of the aerial

work platform.

These guidelines seem pretty clear, but it’s not so easy to implement an effective Fall Arrest system.

Two of the main considerations you need to make when implementing a fall system for your workplace are:

• Clearance/Energy Abosrbance
• Objects in the way

Clearance is incredibly important.  A person might normally think that a harness system with a six foot clearance will keep an employee safe if the fall distance is ten feet – right?

Well, not really right. If your employee is six feet tall, his head and/or feet might still hit the ground if you don’t ensure there’s less footage used in your fall system.

When considering clearance, you want to take into account the height of the employee, the distance between the ground and the fall hazard area, and the length of the rope. You need to make sure there’s going to be a safe fall arrest if a fall happens. Don’t assume that a harness with a certain clearance will be enough to meet your needs.

You should also think about energy absorbance. The weight of the employee and the shock of the bounce are both things that the harness needs to be able to handle, and that you need to understand before calculating clearance in a potential fall.

Additionally, every safety situation should take into account the possibility of objects in the way.  Make sure that you prepare for, train for, analyze, and document how to deal with each unique safety situation that could happen in your workplace. Are there high beams or objects in the way that an employee could hit during a fall? If so, then you need to make sure that the employee will clear these objects during a fall as well.  Don’t just worry about the ground – make sure that your equipment addresses a fall from any angle, with respect to the objects around the fall hazard.

Harnesses and Lanyards

A harness or lanyard works to attach you to an anchor point. Remember the ABCs? Your harness is your C (Connector) that connects you to you’re a (Anchor).

The purpose of the harness is SOLELY for safety. Your employees need to understand that they should be using the harness only to connect to their anchor point for safety. Many employees try to use the harness to climb up to higher heights for work, or for safety when leaning over a tipping point in a lift.

You need to remind your harness that harnesses used in the workplace are not used for the same purpose as, say, mountain climbing. A work harness should be used only for safety, and only in case of an accident. The harness is the employee’s last stop before hitting the ground, so using it for a different purpose other than the one it’s intended for could have dire consequences.

What Constitutes as a Lanyard or Harness?

A body belt and lanyard aren’t enough when it comes to aerial lifts. If your employee is working on an aerial lift, you need to make sure that they are using a full body harness.

The employee could also be thrown around and injured if the lift malfunctions, so your safety harness should be able to handle this possibility as well. You should also include what could happen to the employee during air lift malfunction in your risk assessment, and the safety precautions you will train employees to use if something like this should happen.

Consider, plan for, and document and train any possibility of risk to the employee.  Don’t just think about an accident the employee could have by falling – think about equipment, weather, or other issues that could cause an employee to fall, and make sure those are addressed.

QUIZ

1. A good fall arrest system DOES NOT include:
   1. A body harness
   2. A lanyard
   3. C. A specialized belt
   4. An anchor point
2. An employee can become hurt on an aerial lift by
   1. Falling and hitting the ground
   2. Falling and hitting an object on the way down
   3. Being thrown around during an equipment failure
   4. D. All of the above

With proper training, precautions, and equipping workers properly before the potential for injury arises, workplace injury or death due to falls can be avoided. This is particularly important because of the high volume of fall-related injuries and deaths in the workplace. Lack of proper fall protection is the third leading cause of death in the workplace, behind automobile accidents and violence in the work place.

The potential for fall incidents increases exponentially based on the type of work that’s being done in your workplace. For instance, fall-related incidents are the number one cause of death at construction sites.

Knowing the unique risks that are present in your work situation and in your workplace can not only help you avoid fall injuries and deaths, but can help you address hazardous situations and prepare for them before they happen.

By avoiding predictable accidents, you can implement an environment that encourages training and safety at all times. You can encourage a regular system of training and learning where employees encourage each other to follow safety guidelines, and take them seriously.

By implementing and following a regular safety problem within your workplace, you can also avoid a PR crisis for your business, and possible lawsuits. You’ll also avoid issues with workers’ unions, and encourage respect and cooperation amongst your foremen and workers.

Most importantly, you’ll avoid your workers paying dearly with their lives or health in situations that could have been avoided with the proper precautions. You’ll also avoid potential problems with OSHA – which is why we’re working on this training for your business in the first place!

OSHA suggests that employers and employees alike have the responsibility to take charge and implement precautions that can stop fall injuries in the workplace. Employers and employees both should:

• Ensure that fall protection is present in a way that addresses the unique situation in your industry and workplace.
• Make sure that physical structures implemented for safety are installed and in place.
• Ensure that employees are properly guided and supervised.
• Encourage a safe work environment for everyone, and make sure everyone follows safe work procedures.
• Train employees properly and using a methodical system that includes regular maintenance on equipment and all other systems.

It is your responsibility to ensure that a system is in place to protect employees and supervisors alike. It’s up to you to create an environment of safety training, compliance, and daily operations in your workplace.

Employee Safety Begins From the Top Down

As a business owner, manager or foreman, it’s up to you to ensure that compliance is administered and adhered to throughout your workplace on a consistent basis.

You should make sure that plant owners, subcontractors, managers and foremen know how to administer training, and to ensure that safety plans are followed within the workplace. The safety plan also needs to be followed with consistency – you don’t want to leave anything out and possibly endanger your workers.

By modifying the language of worker and management contracts, you can ensure early that your employees will be ready to complete training and follow the rules, as well as be aware of the dangers that are a part of their every day duties.

You should also make the effort to hold safety meetings that educate your employees on continued training practices, and that make sure everyone is up to date on safety guidelines. Safety should be one of the top priorities in your workplace, and by doing training checks, maintenance and employee education consistently, you can ensure that the guidelines are followed, and that you’ll pass an OSHA review.

Track Everything You Do

When OSHA comes to visit, you will need to make sure that training procedures , methods, and checks are on file – not just for the organization as a whole, but for every single employee that’s part of your organization. Managers need to be a part of this training as well. If you have a safety team taking charge of this task at your workplace, tracking training activities and disclosing training methods should be a regular part of your paperwork.

Though employee safety should be an important part of your daily operations, tracking training should happen monthly. An incentive program for employees who comply with safety regulations and preparations can boost employee morale and help ensure that all employees follow the guidelines regularly.

Fall Specific Training

The above standards apply to all OSHA standards and practices implementation in the workplace. This course will address fall-specific safety training for your organization.

To understand fall-specific risks in the workplace, you must also understand the unique equipment and training that should be used to address falls in the workplace.

We can discuss the “ABCs of Fall Protection” to cover those bases.

A refers to ANCHOR POINTS

B refers to BODY WEAR

C refers to CONNECTION DEVICES

We will discuss more specific protective gear throughout this course, but the ABCs are a great place to start.

To ensure that your employees are properly equipped to handle dangerous height situations, you need to make sure that they are equipped with harnesses that connect to a strong anchor point. They should also have protective body wear on such as high hats that can protect from a fall if equipment fails.

One of the most important parts of safety for your employees is the connective device that anchors your employee’s body to the harness.

Not only do you need to make sure that this equipment is safe to use and up to date – you need to make sure you can document routine checks of your equipment, as well as routine checks of employees using the equipment as they would in every day activity.

One of the most important elements of ensuring the ABCs and other safety guidelines are followed in your workplace is hands on training. All of the training we discuss throughout this course shouldn’t just involve paper checks or quizzes. Not only is it better for you to watch employees using the equipment as they would in daily operations – OSHA wants you to train your employees hands-on.

QUIZ:

1. Who is responsible for enforcing fall safety in the workplace?
   1. Employees
   2. Foremen
   3. OSHA
   4. D. All of the above
   5. Falls are  the ________ leading cause of death in the workplace.
      1. A. Third
      2. First
      3. Second
      4. Falls are not a leading cause.

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