Safety Rules are written in blood.
The Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) and Mine Safety Health Act (MSHA) are federal safety rules enacted to make the workplace safer for employees. After decades of workplace injuries and fatalities, studies and workplace practices were reviewed to identify what was unsafe. The result is OSH Act and MSH Act. When followed these Acts contain safety practices and conditions which greatly decrease the occurrence of a workplace injury/fatality.
Example. An oil servicing rig crew is assembling a work-over rig at a well site. Part of the rig is a work platform upon which several employees will stand to carry out their duties during the rig’s operation. The work platform is approximately 18 feet from the ground. The work platform has guard rails but none of the employees place them. There is also personal fall protection equipment on site but again, none of the employees utilize this safety equipment.
During the rig operation, one of the employees falls from the platform. This same employee was involved in the decision to not place the railings or use the personal fall protection equipment. Had the railing been in place or the personal fall protection equipment been used the employee would not have fallen.
One of the big safety rules for both MSHA and OSHA is fall prevention. Over the decades it has been known that fall hazards to employees when working at heights. OSHA understands that falls in construction, for example, are the leading cause of death or serious injury. OSHA, as does MSHA, has strict safety rules regarding employee protection from falls: these rules are written in blood.
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