Fall protection in all seasons

This week’s missive is something more of a “bite” than the usual multi-course jabbering, but I think you may find this of interest.   

I’ve found that sometimes it’s difficult to explain to folks why we, as safety professionals, insist on certain things, like fall protection and appropriate storage of compressed gas cylinders. I think we all understand that the “right thing” to do is not always the most convenient and sometimes folks cut a corner or two. And a lot of times, we only find the (more or less) near misses in that we identify the noncompliant condition or practice after the deed has been done (so to speak) and the involved individual(s) have fled the scene, making a legitimate root cause analysis of the failure in process a very difficult thing to accomplish. The example that springs most quickly to mind is the improperly secured compressed gas cylinder—primarily the one standing in the corner of a utility room. Now, it is true that this doesn’t happen very often in hospitals (or if it is, nobody is talking about it), but I think it is helpful to “share” with those folks that seem more prone to leaving cylinders hanging around some footage of what can happen.

And, in recognition that it doesn’t take great heights (or wuthering heights, but that’s a whole ’nother kettle of fish) to provide the backdrop for some serious injury potential. When it’s time to remind folks of the dangers of working without appropriate fall protection, you might find this video useful. Much like the driver education videos of yore (and maybe still today), the results can be quite graphic. It’s not a short video, but there is a lot of good, potentially dissuasive, information about falls and the importance of protection.

That’s it for this week. I hope you all continue to be well and are staying safe!

About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Greeley Company in Danvers, Mass. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is contributing editor for Healthcare Safety Leader. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.