Workers in the construction industry have to deal with many dangerous situations. The US government has set up OSHA regulations and ANSI standards for proper safety measures of the workers. Read more to know about these regulations.

1. Understanding OSHA And ANSI Fall Protection System – The Basics Of The Programme
Working in the construction or building maintenance industry requires workers to deal with many dangerous
situation, all during the course of a day’s operations. I am not just talking about lifting heavy stuff here. These
workers have to brave their fears and work at dizzying heights, hanging by a harness from the ceiling; move around
in an under-construction building with no protection at the edge and walk beams and poles just to get from one
place to another. Next time you have an issue with your house’s roofing, just look closely at how dangerous it is for
the repairman to actually get to the top of your house and carry out his fixing job. You cannot help but appreciate
the work that these daredevils perform every day.
And to cater to the interests of these workers, the US government has set up a strict system of regulations so that
proper safety measures are always in place at construction sites to prevent any untoward incidents from occurring.
Here, I am referring to the OSHA and ANSI fall protection system.
Falling is the primary cause of death on construction sites throughout the United States, resulting in dozens of
deaths annually. Accidents such as these are responsible for more than 100,000 injuries on construction jobs every
year. These are the issues that are dealt with by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The
organisation work by setting up safety standards that have to adhered to by construction companies across the
country. The OSHA fall prevention system considers there to be a danger of accidental falls any time a worker is
working four feet (1.2 meters) or more off the ground.
Where OSHA recommends safety equipment that should be installed at work places, the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) lays down the work safety standards that are to be implemented at construction project
sites. These are referred to as the ANSI fall protection guidelines and are listed in ANSI Z359.
Together these two organisations work to make the construction business a much more safe and secure industry,
preventing accidents and injuries from occurring wherever possible. They govern fall arrest requirements that are to
be addressed while construction work is underway as well as window washing operations which are carried out in
equally dangerous working environments. The OSHA and ANSI fall protection guidelines are applicable throughout
the country and have gone on to improve the industry manyfolds.
For builders and roofers working on residential properties that information is found under Title 29 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR)1926.501(b)(13). Construction companies must comply with the new rules no later than June 16,
2011. OSHA provides compliance literature, training materials, and webinars (seminars presented on the internet)
for small businesses. The internet is also a great place to find more information about these topics. In fact, you
should visit the website Caisafety.com to get access to the highest quality information as well as tips on OSHA and
ANSI fall protection guidelines. Be sure to check it out.