I use to joke about fall prevention in my class that, “You will never die when you fall from height if you not hit the ground or anything else.”
In theory, you have two choices to keep people safe from the gravitational hazard. The first choice is to eliminate the risk of fall. The second choice is to arrest the falling body from free falling and hit the ground.
This workplace did everything they can do to stop their workers from fall except one thing “A”. Let me clarify to you now.
This incident occurred in a factory producing sugar. Two men were assigned to go onto the cement tile roof. The mission was to remove the roof tiles so that they can hook up their safety harness to the beam underneath. The company implemented every administrative control efforts, completing “JSA”, Issue Permit To Work”, Conduct Safety Tool Box Talk, and give the harnesses. The report did not mention how the two workers get up onto the roof, 7 meter above the ground. There was no setup for the first choice which is called “Safe Working Platform”. No safe scaffold, MEWP, or anything else. However, the worker is on the fragile roof. They are wearing full body harness which is useless if there is no “A-Anchoring Points”. In this case, the worker stepped on fragile roof tile. It broke and caused him to free fall 7 meter to the ground. Let’s look at what you need when someone life is depending on “PFA- Personal Fall Arresting Apparatus” You will need “ABCDE”
A-Anchoring Point, Body Harness, Connectors, Decelerating Device, and the last one Emergency Rescue plan. Calling first aid room and get the nurse to the scene after a man fall to the ground is not count.
Is Thailand has any law to protect worker from fall? “Oh Yes!”
The Ministerial Regulation Standardize Workplace Safety Administration, management, and Implementation regarding fall from height, falling into slope surface, falling objects, fall and entrapped in the material storage containers or hoppers B.E. 2564 (2021)
The law requires employer to prepare work procedure by identifying potential hazards, then define prevention measures. Then train the workers. All I have said to be kept for official inspection. It is the cheapest Administrative Control again!.
Section 2 Item 8th- talking about providing safe working platform but have no clear standard to refer to. It is very general statement.
Section2 item 9th -talking about guard rails, safety net, and fall arresting devices. That what I am looking for but it is only requiring when working more than 4 meter above ground. Thailand define “Working at high when above ground more than 2 meter”.
This is what I see in Thailand safety laws- it do not refer to any specific safety standard so that the law enforcers can use their authority. There always exception and general statements. It is like a free falling. All you need is luck.
