The news item of the student falling through an open trap strikes a chord with me as I had a similar, close call. I was working at a broadcast transmitter site that has a bunch of equipment on a steel mezzanine with grating for the floor. Because the floor is made of grating, it is normal to see light from below.
Earlier in the day, a crew had lifted off a section of floor to hoist some items up. I got there later that evening, so I wasn't aware that part of the floor was missing. Around 3 am, what little brain power I could muster at that hour was preoccupied with solving a problem as I was walking across the mezzanine. I started to step forward into nothing when I suddenly realized the floor was gone. I lurched backwards just in time to avoid falling about 10 feet onto concrete. It was the closest I ever came to a serious injury.
I don't know what the current regulations are, but it seems like marking an open trap with something like bollards and chains and orange cones would be required practice. It's way too easy for someone to fall through an open trap.
Earlier in the day, a crew had lifted off a section of floor to hoist some items up. I got there later that evening, so I wasn't aware that part of the floor was missing. Around 3 am, what little brain power I could muster at that hour was preoccupied with solving a problem as I was walking across the mezzanine. I started to step forward into nothing when I suddenly realized the floor was gone. I lurched backwards just in time to avoid falling about 10 feet onto concrete. It was the closest I ever came to a serious injury.
I don't know what the current regulations are, but it seems like marking an open trap with something like bollards and chains and orange cones would be required practice. It's way too easy for someone to fall through an open trap.