Responsible Fall Protection Sales

Should fall protection equipment distribution companies have a responsibility to their clients to ask the question “What are you doing with this stuff”?

I recently walked a project and the client asked if I could take a quick look at the “Fall Protection System” that they already had installed on their roof. We headed up to the roof where I saw an improperly installed system with various incompatible devices, and worst of all, a system which inhibited employees from performing a necessary job at the roof’s edge; the system required a user to link a 6’ lanyard to a self-retracting lifeline in order to get them to the roof’s edge. My client had no idea there were problems, nor what they were, and the company he bought from certainly had no problem in turning a profit and then washing their hands clean of responsibility –  which is fine if your company sells tee shirts, but not fall protection equipment.   

The problem starts when you call a distributor that sells. “Fall protection? Sure!” They grab their catalog, find part numbers, contact their inside sales person and order the equipment for their new “Client” a.k.a. $$$. The whole time they never ask what you’re doing with this stuff, nor how it will be used.

At www.versatilefallprotection.com we always ask prospective clients about their intent because we care. These questions unlock safer, easier, and more cost effective solutions. Questioning is not a challenge of prospective client knowledge, it’s about ensuring that our clients get a safe cost effective solution.

Back on the roof, thousands of dollars of unusable equipment lay scattered around without a decipherable plan. The catalog company that the equipment was purchased from may have had the cheapest price, but the cost of removing and reinstalling an adequate fall protection system totals as much as double what our client would have paid if they had gone to an expert from the start.

At Versatile Systems, Inc., the key is to provide as much value to a customer as physically possible. Unfortunately, some companies don’t believe that, for some companies it’s about “I” not “You”. Value lies not just in the cheapest price but also the service that comes with it. There will always be companies who “sell” without responsibility and as long as they’re operating, Versatile Systems, Inc. will clean up their mess because of our belief in responsibility. At the end of the day, a company should ask a client the who, what, where, and whys, but some may never do.

 

John McHugh

Versatile Fall Protection

www.verfallprotection.com

(818) 565-5551

 

OSHA’S Public Enemy Number One: Fall Protection

VersatileSystems Curbing Fines, Fatalities, & Injuries in 2012

Burbank, CA, USA, February 6, 2012 - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s 2011 year-end review of the “Most Cited Violations” ranked lack of proper fall protection at the very top of the list. 

This is not a surprise to OSHA’s Directorate of Construction Jim Maddux who explained in December’s issue of Safety and Health that “Falls continue to be the leading cause of fatality in the construction industry. Even though construction work has declined in the last few years, 260 construction workers died from falls in 2010.” 

260 fall fatalities in one field alone were more than enough to inspire last year’s crackdown on the misuse and non-usage of fall protection equipment. A total of 7,139 violations were served throughout country. The most expensive fine was roughly $1 million for willfully failing to provide adequate protection and training

“When I see workers at 30 and 40 feet connected to nothing, it says something; that there’s a complete disregard, resentment, for [falls] as a realistic injury” said Scott MacKay, director of the OSHA Training Institute in San Diego.

This disregard is a point of frustration for many in the safety field. Falls are the most dangerous risks Americans face each work day, yet the pervading mentality toward safe practices is often derision for safety. 

John McHugh, CEO of Versatile Systems, Inc., a California fall protection company, believes that: “It’s often complacency. Old timers stuck in their ways; and because they never received formal training they don’t understand the benefits. Financially speaking, neither do the company execs more concerned for their bottom line.”

If they did understand the costs, fall protection would be a non-issue; the price of depriving workers of fall protection is staggering. Of OSHA’s Top 10 highest monetary penalties during 2011, three were due to inadequate fall protection. Combined, the three cases alone roughly totaled $2 million in fines; these fines do not even include the cost of worker’s compensation companies must pay-

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Spring OSHA 3110 Fall Protection: Train for Tomorrow, Today.

OSHA 3110 Comprehensive

  Fall Protection Training 

Enroll Today! 

Greetings Jack!

Versatile Systems is pleased to announce our Spring  30 Hour OSHA Fall Protection Training Course to be held March 5th through the 8th. This class will fill fast! Don't miss your chance to learn life saving safety solutions! Enroll Today!  

   

Attendees will be exposed to state-of-the-art fall protection technology and current OSHA standards under the tutelage of safety instructor John McHugh. 

        Topics Include:

• Principles of fall protection.
• Components of fall arrest systems.
• Limitations of fall arrest equipment.
• OSHA policies regarding fall protection.

Furthermore, this course features a one-day hands-on field exercise demonstrating an array of fall protection equipment.  

         Field Exercise Topics Include:  

• Conventional Systems.
• Body Holding Devices.
• Anchor Points.
• Harnesses.
• Vertical/Horizontal Traveling Systems. 

Course Fee: $725

Course Time: 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Course Dates: March 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. (All classes must be attended)  

Course Location: 2514 N. Naomi, Burbank, CA 91504

Course No.: FPM-40489

Section ID: 087163  

Deadline: February 24th. 

All materials are included.

Refreshments will be provided each morning.    

Train for tomorrow, Today.  

 Register Here on the Phone! 

Heavy D's Death Not Unheard of in Fall Protection Field

Recently I read an article in the LA Times about the tragic death of 80’s rapper Heavy D; which forced me to think of all the people that we aim to protect on a daily basis.

An autopsy revealed that a deep leg thrombosis caused a pulmonary embolism and in turn caused Heavy D’s death on November 8th 2011. In layman’s terms he died of a blood clot that traveled from his leg into a lung; which prevented getting oxygen to critical lung tissue.

Heavy had been on a return flight from London where he was stuck in an airplane seat for up to 12 hours without moving. His stasis restricted necessary circulation to his legs which essentially lead to his death.

So, what the heck does this have to do with fall protection? EVERYTHING! It’s just another example of what we in the fall protection industry refer to as “Suspension Trauma”. If not careful what happened to Heavy can easily happen to any of us that fall while utilizing fall arrest gear without a rescue plan. 

Depending on the individual, clotting can begin within 3-5 minutes from the time the fall occurs. Most users of fall arrest equipment do not take into consideration the desperate need to rescue the fallen worker as quickly as possible. Although the fallen worker may appear to be “ok” and feel that they can be suspended for as long as it takes, they are usually unaware of the damage that is being done to their body. Heavy did not collapse and die at the airport when he finally sat up from that long flight. He died days later outside his home, when the clot finally found its way into his lungs.

When using fall arrest equipment it is vital that rescue procedures have been put into place and that the personnel using the equipment have been properly trained in not only how to correctly use it, but also what to do when the equipment actually does its job and arrests your fall. Versatile Systems always includes a user awareness course with our fall arrest systems. We need to know that the users understand the danger that they are placing themselves in and how to prevent further harm to their body once they have taken a fall.

Heavy D’s death was a tragic accident but it’s also a grim reminder that we need to be more responsible in protecting our employees. ALL employees using fall arrest equipment must have the proper training, never work alone, and understand the importance in having a rescue plan in place at all times.

Have a Safe Day, Safe Month, Safe New Year.

Versatile Systems, Inc.

New OSHA 3110 Fall Protection Training: Whose Your Expert?

OSHA 3110 Comprehensive   Fall Protection Training

Enroll Today!

Greetings! General Safety Services and Versatile Systems are pleased to sponsor a 30 Hour OSHA Fall Protection Training Course this December 5th through the 8th. We invite you to enroll ASAP because the class is nearly filled!     Under the guidance of UC San Diego OSHA Training Institute's Instructor Ray Enama, and Assistant Instructors John McHugh and John O'Toole, this course will provide attendees exposure to state-of-the-art fall protection technology and current OSHA standards.            Topics Include: Principles of fall protection. Components of fall arrest systems. Limitations of fall arrest equipment. OSHA policies regarding fall protection. Furthermore, this course features a one-day hands-on field exercise demonstrating an array of fall protection equipment.            Field Exercise Topics Include:   Conventional Systems. Body Holding Devices. Anchor Points. Harnesses. Vertical/Horizontal Traveling Systems.  Course Fee: $725 Course Time: 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Course Dates: Dec. 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th. (All classes must be attended)   Course Location: 2514 N. Naomi, Burbank, CA 91504 Course No.: FPM-40489 Section ID: 087163   Deadline: December 2nd.  All materials are included. Refreshments will be provided each morning.     Ensure your competent person has the right Fall Protection training.   Register Here!   Online www.osha.ucsd.edu      Telephone  (800) 358-9206 Fax (619) 294-3861

Ray Enama   Instructor Ray Enama is the Construction Industry Director and the Curriculum and Program Chair of Electrical and Special Projects at OSHA Training Institute's, UC San Diego Extension program. John McHugh Assistant Instructor John McHugh is the owner of Versatile Systems, Inc., California's leader in fall protection safety; his universal expertise of the field propelled him to the top of prominent figures in fall protection training, lectures and installation over recent years.  John O'Toole  Assistant Instructor John O'Toole is an Instructor & Program Coordinator for the Entertainment Industry at OSHA Training Institute's, UC San Diego Extension program; as well as the Principal Safety Consultant with General Safety Services.   Questions?   Contact John O'Toole at john@generalsafetyservices.com, (323) 258-2771     or  Ray Enama at oshatraining@ucsd.edu or visit www.osha.ucsd.edu   GSS

Silo Fall Protection Safety Guidelines

Harvest Moon

Due east of the mighty Mississippi River, a serene July night consumed the sullied goldenrod fields of Mt. Carroll, IL. as two lifeless teenage boys were pulled from a stainless steel Illinois grain bin. They were Wyatt Whitebread, 14 and Alejandro Pacas, 19. 

According to OSHA reports, the two boys were “walking-down-the-corn”, creating flow for grain emptying machinery, when the kernels suddenly assumed the nature of quicksand below Wyatt’s feet. The 8^th grader began sinking. Pacas and a third boy, Will Piper, 20, rushed to Whitebread’s safety; however the rescuers encountered the same fate of young Wyatt Whitebread: all three boys slowly sank. A fourth boy, Chris Lawton, 15, lunged for the side ladder and hustled up-and-out of the bin; inhaling large gulps of summer morning air in his dead sprint for help. 

Meanwhile, the eyes of Whitebread and Pacas disappeared below the surface of the trembling grain leaving Will Piper to sink alone. Thousands of kernels engulfed Piper’s thighs, hips, stomach and chest before the grain, now level with his neckline, came to a halt. Treading a sea of corn, he kept his head above the surface in a struggle to escape drowning. He succeeded; the machinery halted; and Piper waited. He waited six hours before being pulled out of the pit, rushed to a hospital and treated for minor injuries.

And still it was six more hours before thirty-eight firefighters finally bore witness to the harvest’s victims: two teenagers, one underage for silo employment, both without harnesses.

The boys were employed to walk the surface of the unstable crop without harnesses, safety lines or proper training. Those essentials would have prevented what OSHA has deemed an “easily avoidable tragedy” from happening. It would have prevented unquantifiable grief and unimaginable pain for the friends, family, and community of the teens. And yet this story isn’t unique. Unfortunately, agricultural cities across the country have experienced the same trials and tribulations.

2010 was one of the deadliest years for granary accidents:  

A Purdue University report showed [there were] 51 grain bin accidents last year, up from 38 in 2009 and the most since tracking began in 1978. Twenty-five people died, and five of them were children under age 16. The previous record for grain bin accidents was 42 in 1993. (Crumb, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/16/grain-bin-accidents_n_824014.html#)

The rise of silo fatalities is disconcerting in America’s current golden age of “Safety First” discourse because it implies a certain degree of indifference towards employee health. The complacency with current practices, “We’ve done it this way for years and nobody’s ever even cracked a knuckle”, is proof that the message is not getting through; deliberate inaction is far worse than general ignorance, but neither should ever be condoned. 

And so it is only true that the escalation of fatal incidents will not cease until we sensibly acknowledge the inflexible tragedies of the past and strive forth equipped with the knowledge to ensure comprehensive employee protection: hopefully the perplexity of silenced youth provides clarity for that future.

Accompanying this message is VSI’s free 7 Point Silo Safety Flyer that highlights OSHA’s guidelines for safe silo practices. Please print one for your silo employees, or pass this on to someone who may need it. 

Thank you,

VSI

We’re not your average Fall Protection company.

We’re Versatile Systems, Inc. Average doesn’t work here.