NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Worker Injuries
and Deaths Caused by Falls From Suspension Scaffolds
CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) periodically issues alerts on workplace hazards that have
caused death, serious injury, or illness to workers. One such
alert, Request for Assistance in Preventing Worker Injuries and
Deaths Caused by Falls From Suspension Scaffolds (1) was recently
released and is available to the public. * This alert describes
five
incidents of fatal falls from suspension scaffolds that resulted in
six deaths. All the incidents involved violations of Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations for scaffolds.
The alert provides recommendations, including OSHA regulations, to
prevent serious injuries and fatal falls while working from
suspension scaffolds.
A "suspension scaffold" is the term applied to one or more
working platforms suspended by ropes or other means from an
overhead structure; workers may die or be seriously injured if
suspension scaffold equipment and fall-protection systems fail.
During 1980-1985, falls from scaffolds accounted for 461 (17%) of
2705 fatal falls from elevations, second only to falls from
buildings; a substantial proportion of these incidents involved
suspension scaffolds. Recent investigations by NIOSH suggest that
fatal falls result from defective scaffold equipment, improper
installation or operation, improper training of workers, or failure
to use appropriate personal fall-protection equipment.
Reference
NIOSH. NIOSH alert: request for assistance in preventing worker
injuries and deaths caused by falls from suspension scaffolds.
Cincinnati: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, CDC, NIOSH, 1992; DHHS publication no.
(NIOSH)92-105.
Single copies of this document are available without charge from
the Information Dissemination Section, Division of Standards
Development and Technology Transfer, NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway,
Cincinnati, OH 45226; telephone (513) 533-8287 (1:00 4:30 p.m.,
Eastern time); fax (513) 533-8573.
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