So despite the big push for this to be rig safe day, I did not remember the risks of working at height today and almost payed the ultimate price. While working installing rigging
element on the wall of a theater in the
grid i was not paying attention to where my feet were going and stepped right into an open well similar to the ones for fly
rail lines. Because of how small the well was and how few
safety points there were I was not bothering
clipping in despite wearing my harness. My
foot went through, and the next thing I know I'm hanging on by my fingertips and elbows top keep from falling 60ft. Luckily a co-worker saw me hanging and made his way over on the
grid and helped pull me out.
I know it is common to walk these grids without fall pro and I had done so all day, but by switching my work from whats below me to what was in front of me I forgot that the floor was not solid and am incredibly glad to be writing this warning.
By the way the story is written, I think:
1) Yes you are a silly sod and you should pay more attention when working in hazardous environments!
But also...
2) If this
grid is a place people are working frequently, it sounds like your employer could do more to make it safe.
The use of harnesses should be a last resort. Normally it would go:
1) Do you have to be up high at all? If not, do it on the floor
2) If you have to be up high, can there be a physical prevention for you falling off it? IE handrails,
trap covers,
etc etc
3) If you cannot be physically prevented falling off, can you use work positioning equipment to prevent you being put in a position where you could fall off?
4) If you cannot use work positioning equipment to prevent you reaching a position where you could fall off, can you use fall arrest so that in the event of a fall you are saved?
Your situation sounds like somewhere between 2 and 3... you're rigging so obviously at height... but could the
grid be made safer without compromising it's functionality? Could a gated barrier be erected in front of the open well - so deliberate access could be gained safely, but it not fallen into? If not, and it has been decided that harnesses are the only reasonable way of keeping oneself secure in the
grid... then the employer still has a responsibility to install sufficient points / lines to allow the use of harnesses throughout the work area.
The only exception would be if you were a contractor carrying out occasional works in the space and were thus responsible for installation of your own fall protection systems since the
grid is not a normal work area for
theatre employees. But that does not sound like the case?
Many theatres employ the "watch what you're doing and be careful" or "it's never hurt anyone before" principles for workplace
safety but legally if part of your building is a commonly used work area, and there is potential for falls, and insufficient fall protection has been installed; an accident will see the
OSHA have a field day with the
theatre and whatever the
theatre have to pay out will always be many many times more than any construction costs for decent fall protection!
