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The Hazard
The hazards associated with sitting, standing, leaning or walking on skylights should be obvious, yet US Department of Labor statistics reveal that people continue to fall through skylights every year.
Many of these accidents occur because flush fiberglass panel skylights blend in with the contour of the roof, making them difficult to see, especially when covered with snow or debris. Although raised acrylic dome skylights are easier to see, people still sit upon, lean on, slip or trip into and, consequently, fall through them.
The Decision
When faced with the
decision between what is safe and what is easy, fast or more
convenient, do you always choose what is safe? Written safety
policies and warning signs "tell" us what is safe, but still
leave the decision up to us. We are all human and not all the
decisions we make are the right ones.
A passive safety guard eliminates the potential for a fatality or serious injury because it protects us from our poor decisions regarding skylight safety. When faced with the decision surrounding the guarding of your skylights, make the correct one... FallGuard Skylight Screens. It could be the decision between life and death!
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Safety Engineers and Directors
Your responsibility for employee safety can be overridden by a management concerned with the bottom line. Just because no one has yet fallen through your skylights does not remove the risk. Explain that a proactive policy is best in safety matters and that the cost to protect your skylights is one time and the expense can be spread over several quarters. Installation of guards expresses a humane concern for human life. Finally, remind management that they are personally liable if the skylights are not protected and there is a fall anytime in the future.
Loss Control Specialists
Are you fully aware of OSHA Regulation 1926.501 "Duty to have fall protection"? Are you recommending that your insureds and other clients protect against the risk of falls through skylights? Remind them of their personal as well as corporate liabilities. |
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