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Fall Protection Systems for the Pulp and Paper Industry

Due to their harsh environments, pulp and paper mills require constant maintenance. Although preventative service is vital to keeping your mill operational, it also exposes maintenance personnel to a variety of safety and fall hazards. Ensuring worker safety and OSHA compliance requires the implementation of a comprehensive fall prevention strategy, which includes the proper mix of fall protection equipment, personnel training, and partnering with a fall protection company that appreciates the unique nature of your mill’s access points and potential fall hazards.

Creating an effective fall protection system for your pulp and paper mill begins with a site visit to better understand the work environment.  By understanding the nature and frequency of tasks performed, fall clearance distances, and the strength of adjacent structural beams and columns, we can engineer a turnkey fall protection solution that maximizes productivity while keeping your employees safe and your mill in compliance with all OSHA regulations.

Remember, falls are the leading cause of occupational injuries and fatalities each year.  What’s more, the OSHA fines and increased insurance premiums and workman’s compensation costs associated with one recordable event exceed the costs of even the most sophisticated, engineered fall protection system many times over.  Don’t put your employees or business at risk–contact the safety experts at Diversified Fall Protection today.

We are a complete turnkey provider of pulp and paper mill fall protection systems and have years of design and installation experience in this market sector.  Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements

Fall Protection Solutions

Design Considerations

Pulp and Paper Mill Fall Protection Design Considerations

Providing unimpeded overhead crane access for maintenance requires dedicated fold-away or rigid beam fall protection systems for each machine in the mill. Pulp and paper mill fall protection systems must also be constructed from corrosion resistant 316 stainless or equivalent due to the wet and humid work environment. Although these conditions present challenges, our turnkey approach to OSHA compliant fall protection can keep your plant operational and your maintenance personnel safe.

OSHA Regulations

  • Horizontal Lifelines
    • 1926.502(d)(8)
      Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two.
  • Personal Fall Arrest Systems
    • 1926.502(d)(16)
      Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(ii)
      limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iii)
      be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor contact any lower level;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iv)
      bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m); and,
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(v)
      have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.

Talk to a fall protection specialist

Tell us about your fall protection needs, and we’ll configure a system that rises to your challenges.