10:50 PM
The Federated Mutual Assurance Company (FEM)
embarked on a series of critical workshops throughout September, to raise
awareness on necessary precautions against falling from heights (FFH)
accidents. The construction industry insurer, conducted the workshops in
partnership with the Institute for PASMA, IWH, Gravity Training, SARA Global and
Honeywell.
The collaboration aims to address the alarming FFH accidents that
saw a reported 8218 accidents in 2018, with 295212 victims. The first workshop
kicked off in Johannesburg, then proceeded to Durban, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth
and finally Cape Town.
FEM’s annual “Safetember” campaign is aimed at saving
lives and mitigating FFH accidents by encouraging construction employers to
implement fall protection plans.
Key themes of the workshops
The key themes at the workshops
included: Analysing Fall from Heights accidents; How SA compares
internationally within a Regulatory Framework (PASMA); Work at Height solutions
to minimize accidents (SARA); PPE – Fall Restraint vs Fall Arrest (Honeywell);
Competence equals Confidence (Gravity). The keynote speaker at all the
workshops was Ernst van Biljoen of LCS, a seasoned lawyer who highlighted the
dire legal consequences of poor health and safety at the workplace.
What are FFH accidents?
There is a whole
spectrum of accident types that occur from FFH and for which all construction
employers need to take precautions. Among others, they include: Falling from
agents (scaffolds, ladders) and surfaces (platforms, openings, walkways,
skylights). Falls from buildings is the most hazardous when working at height
due to the overlapping factors involved in falling (e.g., wind velocity,
structure height, risky activities and workers’ attitudes).
Adverse physical effects of FFH incidents
The consequences of
incidents cover a range of physical effects. Employees may suffer fractures,
trauma, contusions, concussions, bruises or abrasions. Over and above physical
effects there can also be pervasive psychiatric illness due to the loss of a
job opportunity or from having a permanent disability. The worst and most undesirable effect is death.
Leading factors of FFH
To put precautionary measures in place it is imperative to understand of
a number of risk factors. Such factors arise from the site, the organisation
and the individuals associated with the construction project. Specifically, the
factors include risky construction activities, individual characteristics, site conditions, management, agents and
weather and environment and conditions.
Contributing factors to mortalities include
Beyond the major
factors mentioned, aggravating circumstances could be when workers exhibit certain
risky behavioural patterns which combine with the environmental threats. These
behavioural factors include age and attempted suicide.
The results of this
risky behaviour could be head, thoracic, and abdominal trauma are the primary
factors affecting mortality caused by falls from height. In addition, the
environmental factors are the height of fall, type of ground on which the patient
falls and the place of fall.
The institute for work at height’s fall protection planning
In keeping with the Occupational
Health and Safety Act NO.85 OF 1993 and Construction Regulation 2014, workers
have to be protected in the line of work and to be provided for in the eventuality
of accidents.
These pieces of legislation give rise to the obligations placed
on employers to secure construction sites and put in necessary protective
measures in place. The Institute of Work and Heights has formulated a Fall
Protection Plan in this regard, which is a documented plan that includes and
provides for:
• All risks
relating to working from a fall risk position and considering the nature of
work undertaken (identify, analyse and evaluate, control, monitor and review)
•
The
procedures and methods to be applied in order to eliminate the risk of falling
•
Appropriate competence, training and appointments
•
Equipment
management (inspection, testing, maintenance)
•
Equipment
control accountability (records, unserviceable equipment)
•
A rescue plan
and procedures (competent personnel, suitable equipment)
•
Identification
of influences on effectiveness of the plan
The true cost of a ‘Fall from Heights’ Accident
There are major cost implications associated to injuries and deaths, for
both the worker and the company.
Individual costs
• Medical expenses not covered by COIDA
• Income shortage - Only 75% of salary increasing at CPI
(Temporary Total Disability – TTD)
• Entry level wages – only growth
• Pension pay-outs for more
severe injuries
• No future career advancement as a result of a disability
• No possibility of lifestyle improvement – surviving
spouse
• Little or no education for kids.
Company costs
• Loss of rebates and possible loadings
• Making the area safe
• Immediate staff downtime
• Third party fees to assist with investigation
• Site clean up
• Repairing damage / faults
• Lost work time
• Salary costs of replacement workers
• Company reputation
• Loss of profits and loss of skills
The overarching message of “Safetember”
The overall message
of FEM’s “Safetember” initiative could be summed up as the need for both passive
strategies and proactive methods to safeguard work at heights. In other words,
there should be an underlying positive attitude to safety and security in the
line of work; as well as specific protective measures such as the
implementation of fall protection. From years of experience, the FEM team has
observed that there are a number of accidents that are entirely preventable.
Therefore, it is through suitably trained individuals and proper education that
at the minimum such accidents should be prevented. In addition, the provision of
correct safety gear (PPE) and correct supervision, further cuts down the
accident statistics. Overall, FEM insists that the industry needs to take
greater responsibility for controlling the risks that it creates.
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