Fall Prevention Plan

Implementing A Fall Prevention Plan

• A fall prevention plan is a site specific plan that is designed to be integrated into the Safety and Health Management System. It provides a systematic approach towards eliminating or reducing the risk of falling from height by ensuring that all reasonable fall prevention and protection measures and methods have been taken prior to the commencement of the work.
• All workplaces engaged in activities that require workers to work at height shall develop and implement a fall protection plan to ensure the safety of the workers during their course of the work.
• The fall prevention plan is to be developed by a competent person. Provisions must also be made for adequate supervision to ensure that the plan is being implemented at the workplace.
• The fall prevention plan shall be monitored and reviewed periodically to ensure its relevancy and effectiveness. It is also required to be properly documented and kept readily available  at the workplace.

Components of a Fall Prevention Plan

• The fall prevention plan should be customized to address the unique conditions at individual workplaces.
• A comprehensive fall prevention plan should include (but not be limited to) the following components:
  1. Policy for fall prevention
  2. Responsibilities
  3. Hazard identification and risk assessment
  4. Control measures / methods
  5. Procedures
  6. Personal fall prevention and protection equipment
  7. Inspection and maintenance
  8. Training
  9. Incident investigations
  10. Emergency preparedness

Policy for Fall Prevention

• A policy for fall prevention will set clear and unambiguous terms on the organisation’s approach and commitment towards fall prevention.
• Top management with executive or site responsibility shall define, endorse and document its policy for fall prevention. The policy for fall prevention shall be appropriate to the needs, nature and scale of the organisation’s activities and work at height risks.
• The organisation shall establish a policy which demonstrates its commitments to prevent falls from height incidents, comply with applicable legal and other requirements.
• It is important that the policy for fall prevention is understood, implemented and maintained at all levels of the organisation. The policy for fall prevention should be reviewed periodically and amended as as when necessary.

The above information is from the “Code of Practice for Working Safely at Height“, published by the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) of Singapore. For more info, please visit www.wshc.sg or email contact@wshc.sg