Good safety practices dictate that every employee owns safety. At the same time, company managers own the responsibility of providing a safe environment for their employees.
Year after year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishes its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety violations, and for 15 consecutive years, fall protection has held the number one spot. This persistent ranking underscores an expensive operational reality: falls remain a leading cause of workplace fatalities and injuries, and the financial impact extends far beyond medical bills, regulatory fines and workers’ compensation claims.
The question should not simply be, “Are we compliant?” It should be, “What is the cost of not having the right safety systems in place?”
The answer can include:
Financial and insurance impact: Workplace incidents can negatively affect a company’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) increasing workers’ compensation costs and potentially limiting sales in certain industries.
Physical and psychological strain: Improvised access can force employees into awkward positions, unnecessary physical fatigue and diverting their attention.
Lost productivity: When proper equipment is unavailable, employees may resort to temporary equipment or other workarounds that add non‑value‑added time to work activities.
Brand and reputation: Customers increasingly evaluate companies based on how they operate, not just what they sell. Reports on poor safety practices can damage customer confidence and business relationships.
A safer approach starts with the right solution
Nearly every business faces some type of fall protection hazard. OSHA generally requires fall protection at four feet in general industry and six feet in construction, as well as at any height when employees are exposed to dangerous equipment or machinery. These requirements can apply to a wide range of areas and activities, including roof edges, interior elevated locations and access points such as ladders.
Compliance, however, is only part of the equation. Effective fall protection begins with the hierarchy of controls: eliminate the hazard whenever possible, then use engineered solutions when elimination is not practical.
Redesign: Can the hazard be eliminated by changing the work area, equipment layout or how the task is performed? Ergonomic design can also reduce physical strain while improving efficiency.
Passive protection: Guardrails, protected access paths and custom work platforms can physically separate workers from fall hazards. These solutions reduce reliance on personal protective equipment while allowing employees to work more confidently and consistently. Properly designed passive protection must also meet applicable OSHA requirements and engineering standards.
Engineered active protection: When permanent barriers are not practical, properly designed attachment and tie‑off systems can provide protection. These systems require training and active participation. A harness and anchor alone do not make a system safe — the entire system must be properly designed and installed.
Safety as investment
Fall protection systems should not be viewed simply as another safety expense. The cost of doing nothing about safety is rarely visible until an incident occurs. The value of prevention, however, can be realized every day through fewer workarounds, less downtime, greater productivity and a safer workforce. Safety systems are a company’s investment in risk mitigation and yield in operations efficiency. And they provide empowerment for employees to take ownership of safety for themselves and co‑workers.
Let your safety fall on us!
Whether you are looking to address a specific hazard or develop a broader fall protection plan, Manufacturing First is an opportunity to connect with Sesco Safety and explore practical solutions that can protect your people while helping you avoid unnecessary costs. The most effective fall protection strategy is not the one that responds to an incident. It is the one that prevents incidents in the first place.
About the Guest Author:
Dennis Sachs, General Manager, Sesco Safety
Dennis Sachs serves as General Manager at Sesco Safety, a De Pere‑based leader in general industry fall protection, rooftop safety and compliance consulting with customers extensively in manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, technology and facility management segments. He leads a talented team of technical experts, adept in various industries, to provide turnkey engineered fall protection solutions that protect employees while supporting productivity and long‑term business performance. While Sesco Safety proudly services customers nationwide, and is known as The Fall Protection Experts, he is particularly passionate about helping Wisconsin companies strengthen workplace safety as a foundation of a stronger organization.
