Try as we might to avoid them, falls happen everywhere, all the time, especially when you might least expect it:
- The American Journal of Emergency Medicine estimates that more than a million Americans injuries themselves on stairs every year.
- One in three elderly adults suffers a serious stairway fall every year.
- Staircase accidents are the second-leading cause of accident injury, right behind motor vehicle accidents.
- Peace of mind: If you’re someone who has a fear of heights or maybe suffers from vertigo, railings can offer a great degree of comfort. You might feel comfortable enough to walk to the edge of an outlook or a balcony instead of pulling up short.
- Preventing falls: It’s already been established that falls can occur any time and any place. Railings offer a barrier that protects kids, adults and pets.
- Safety from the elements: Construction workers especially may have to work outside in some less than favorable conditions. When they’re using single leg slings, four-leg slings and nylon lifting straps to lift heavy loads in nasty conditions, railings give them something to lean about against and grab on to for safety.
- Balance: if someone is unsteady on their feet and loses their balance easily, railings give them stability and something they hang on to or graze for extra support.
Falls are very common on construction sites as well. Falls are actually the leading cause of death in the construction industry and lack of fall protection is the most frequently listed OHSA violation.
So what can be done to protect office workers and construction workers alike from falling on the job. One simple solution is to install wire railing systems or cable railing systems in offices and on construction sites. These days it pays to be better safe than sorry in order to keep employees safe and to also avoid serious injuries and potential liability.
Many of us lean on wire railings and steel railings at the office or overlooking a scenic area or maybe even on a front porch. But have you ever stopped to consider why those railings are there? They provide many safety benefits including:
The OHSA requires safety railing has to be at least 42 inches tall from the working or walking surface you’re on. The rails must also withstand 200-pound force.
If you’re in construction and you’re looking to have steel railing or wire railing installed, companies can sell you wire railing parts to construct the guardrails you need. If you’re working in a highly-traffic outdoor area for example, companies can offer wire railing parts that are high-visibility (hi-vis) so that it can be easy seen.
If you’re looking to for wire railing parts to install roof railing, railing companies can set you up with parts to keep you safe. Rooftops are notorious as places where falls often happen and companies can offer wire railing parts for any roof type so that workers can feel safer whether they’re working on an apartment building or a commercial rooftop. For extra protection, workers can connect safety straps to the rails.
Whether your needs are temporary or long term, there’s no doubt that railing systems can offer many benefits and a higher degree of safety, no matter your line of work.
