Oregon OSHA to Offer New Slate of Online Courses on Fall Protection
To address the state’s issues with disabilities due to falls, the agency is launching video classes to help employers supplement their training programs.
In an effort to prevent falls and eliminate fall hazards, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a free online course for employers and workers to learn more about proper fall protection.
“Fundamentals of Fall Protection,” a six-part course that lasts about two hours, is designed to supplement the training programs already offered by employers. The course aims to address common challenges to providing proper fall protection by walking viewers through equipment inspection and maintenance as well as how to begin using fall protection.
“We encourage employers and workers in Oregon to add this flexible, user-friendly online tool to their fall protection toolbox,” Roy Kroker, consultation and public education manager for Oregon OSHA, said in a statement. “There’s more to come, too, as we roll out our entire online suite of fall protection courses.”
The class features 28 videos that include interviews with experts and people who have been affected by falls at work, including a man who was paralyzed after falling from a scaffold in 1995.
Fall incidents are not entirely uncommon in the state, according to statistics provided by OSHA. Between 2013 and 2018, there were 7,195 accepted disabling claims in Oregon due to falls to a lower level, the agency said.
Later this year, Oregon OSHA will release four other courses on fall protection tailored to specific industries. Fall protection was the most common violation for Oregon’s construction industry in 2018, adding up to 443 violations and penalties of $902,990, according to data provided by the agency.