In the Spring of 2011, a well-known service contractor confronted a possible $70,000 fine from the Work-related Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for carrying out a violation associated with employee safety. The actual violation was recognized as “one dedicated with basic indifference in order to or even deliberately disregard regard employee safety and well-being. Allegedly, workers were exposed to a potential 50 foot fall while working without the proper fall protection equipment on a building’s roof.

Today in the United States, employees are protected by the U.S. Division of Labor Law 1926.501(b)(2)(i) mandating the proper safety equipment whenever working on the job. Too many accidents happen each year in the workplace as well as too many occasions when the occur due to a lack of proper security gear. Here are some examples of why the proper safety equipment is always needed on-site at any workplace:

• Directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – there were 255,440 reported cases of work-related non-fatal accidents, and 814 deadly accidents reported by employers throughout the United States in the year 2007.

• Accidents in the workplace should always be avoidable, especially dangerous falls.

• By using the right combination of safety education, protective equipment, as well as the proper instruction, employers are able to eliminate the risk of dangerous accidents in the workplace.

• Working at great heights is dangerous enough, so whether you are on a roofing, platform, ladder, shifting vehicle, or even a high rise, employs always need the proper protection to guard against slipping and falling.

• Drops from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds amount to one half of all crippling falls.

• With the proper safety gear, one can avoid disabling injuries and fatalities within high-risk areas of work.

• Basic fall protection is much more than donning a hard hat and safety harness. It begins with avoidance mechanisms as well as the proper safety gear.

• An employer must always determine all potential safety risks in the working area before sending employees out to work there. This can be as easy as holding a weekly safety meeting with employee crews, talking about safety measures when it comes to using the proper fall protection equipment, and discussing how to correctly respond to any emergencies while on the job.

Employers must always have the proper safety equipment on-site:
There are lots of different on-the-job safety equipment devices which can help in saving lives for any employees working at great heights. However, the most recommended ones concern fall protection safety equipment which are very helpful when it comes to preventing dangerous falls.

After obtaining the proper safety equipment, employers must always provide the proper knowledge to their workers about the correct methods of usage when it comes to the equipment itself. It is the responsibility of any employer to always make sure that workers are provided a fully safe working environment, and having the proper safety equipment on-site at all times is a way to ensure employee safety and well-being while they are working.

This article was contributed by the experts at Safety Company. Safety Company is committed to helping you and your company with all your safety needs.