Industrial Fall Protection Inspection & Consulting Services
Protecting Employees Who Work at Height
Falls remain one of the most serious hazards in industrial, manufacturing, construction, maintenance, utility, and commercial work environments.
Effective fall protection requires more than providing employees with a harness and lanyard. Employers must identify fall hazards, select appropriate controls, inspect and maintain equipment and systems, evaluate anchorage points, train employees, and periodically verify that workplace practices remain effective.
IES Safety provides specialized industrial fall protection inspection, assessment, consulting, and training services through our Safety Inspection Services Division.
Our services are designed to help employers identify fall hazards, evaluate existing systems and work practices, identify potential program gaps, and develop practical corrective-action strategies.
Fall Protection Inspection Services
IES Safety can provide inspection and evaluation services for a wide range of personal and installed fall protection equipment and systems.
Services may include inspection and evaluation of:
- Full-body harnesses
- Self-retracting lifelines
- Energy-absorbing lanyards
- Connectors and carabiners
- Anchorage connectors
- Vertical and horizontal lifeline components
- Positioning and restraint systems
- Rope and cable systems
- Other personal fall protection equipment
Inspections can help identify visible damage, deterioration, excessive wear, contamination, improper modification, missing information, and other conditions that may require corrective action or removal from service.
Documentation and recommendations can also be provided to support the client’s fall protection equipment management program.
Fall Protection Anchor Inspection and Evaluation
The effectiveness of a personal fall protection system depends heavily upon the anchorage to which the employee is connected.
IES Safety can assist clients with the inspection and evaluation of fall protection anchorage systems based upon the type of system, intended application, manufacturer requirements, available documentation, and applicable technical requirements.
Services may include:
- Inspection of installed anchorage points
- Review of anchor identification and labeling
- Evaluation of visible condition
- Review of installation documentation
- Review of manufacturer requirements
- Evaluation of intended employee use
- Review of connection methods and equipment compatibility
- Identification of anchors requiring additional qualified-person or engineering review
- Inspection documentation and recommendations
Where formal certification requires engineering analysis, load calculations, testing, or evaluation by a qualified person, IES Safety can assist in identifying and coordinating the appropriate level of technical review.
Facility Fall Protection Audits
A written fall protection program is only effective when it reflects the hazards and work practices occurring in the field.
IES Safety can conduct facility and jobsite fall protection audits to evaluate elevated work areas, existing controls, employee practices, and potential fall exposures.
Typical assessment areas may include:
- Roof edges and rooftop work
- Skylights and floor openings
- Mezzanines and elevated platforms
- Catwalks and fixed access systems
- Fixed and portable ladders
- Elevated process equipment
- Maintenance access points
- Tanks and vessels
- Horizontal and vertical lifelines
- Anchorage systems
- Guardrail systems
- Personal fall arrest and fall restraint systems
The objective is to identify potential hazards, evaluate existing controls, and provide practical recommendations for improvement.
Fall Protection Program Reviews
IES Safety can review an employer’s written fall protection program and compare documented requirements with actual workplace practices.
A program review may include:
- Fall hazard identification
- Competent person responsibilities
- Equipment inspection requirements
- Anchorage requirements
- Employee training
- Rescue considerations
- Equipment removal-from-service criteria
- Contractor requirements
- Recordkeeping
- Corrective action processes
Combining a written program review with an onsite assessment allows IES Safety to evaluate both what the program requires and what is actually occurring in the workplace.
Fall Protection Consultation
Industrial facilities often have elevated-work situations that cannot be adequately addressed through a generic policy or a single piece of equipment.
IES Safety can provide site-specific consultation to help employers evaluate:
- Fall arrest versus fall restraint applications
- Anchor placement
- Rooftop access
- Swing-fall hazards
- Fall-clearance concerns
- Equipment compatibility
- Maintenance access
- Contractor fall protection practices
- Equipment selection
- Rescue considerations
- Corrective action options
Our goal is to help clients identify practical fall protection solutions appropriate for the work being performed and the hazards present.
Fall Protection Competent Person Training
Training may include:
- Fall hazard recognition
- Applicable fall protection requirements
- Hierarchy of controls
- Guardrail, restraint, and fall arrest systems
- Anchorage requirements
- Equipment inspection
- Harness use and fitting
- Self-retracting lifelines
- Lanyards and connectors
- Fall clearance
- Swing-fall hazards
- Rescue considerations
- Competent person responsibilities
- Equipment removal-from-service criteria
Harness Fit Evaluation
Proper harness selection and fit are important components of an effective personal fall protection system.
IES Safety can assist with:
- Harness sizing
- Proper adjustment
- D-ring positioning
- Leg and chest strap adjustment
- Proper donning and doffing
- Pre-use inspection
- Identification of common fitting errors
Regulatory and Industry Standards
Depending upon the client’s industry and application, IES Safety’s fall protection inspection and consulting services may consider applicable requirements and guidance contained within:
- OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910, General Industry
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.29
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.30
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.140
- OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M
- Applicable ANSI/ASSP Z359 fall protection standards
- Applicable manufacturer instructions and specifications
IES Safety assessments are intended to help employers identify hazards, evaluate existing controls, identify potential gaps, and develop corrective-action strategies.
Industries We Serve
IES Safety’s fall protection services can support organizations across a wide range of industries, including:
- Manufacturing
- Chemical and petrochemical
- Refining
- Power generation
- Utilities
- Food and beverage manufacturing
- Distilleries
- Automotive manufacturing
- Warehousing and distribution
- Transportation and logistics
- Construction
- Industrial maintenance
- Water and wastewater
- Governmental and institutional facilities
Any organization with employees who work at elevation may benefit from a structured review of its fall protection equipment, systems, procedures, and work practices.
Experienced Industrial Fall Protection Support
IES Safety’s expanded fall protection capability is managed by Chris James, who brings approximately 28 years of experience involving fall protection, rope systems, climbing, rappelling, elevated work, and high-angle rescue activities.
Chris holds 3M training and qualifications associated with:
- Fall protection installation
- Fall protection inspection
- Fall protection competent person training
His practical background provides additional field experience that complements IES Safety’s broader occupational safety inspection and consulting capabilities.
Chris also has experience with COPE programs, including high ropes courses, zip lines, and aerial challenge environments, and currently holds a COPE Director certification through Scouting America. This experience serves as a supporting element of his broader fall protection and rope-systems background, while his primary focus with IES Safety is industrial fall protection inspection, assessment, consultation, and training.
More Than an Equipment Inspection
Fall protection should be managed as part of a facility’s overall occupational safety program.
IES Safety can integrate fall protection services with other capabilities, including:
- Facility safety inspections
- OSHA compliance assessments
- Safety program gap assessments
- Confined space assessments
- Job hazard analyses
- Written safety program development
- Employee training
- Contractor safety evaluations
- Safety management system reviews
This allows clients to address fall protection as part of a broader safety management strategy rather than as an isolated program.
Schedule a Fall Protection Site Review
Do you know whether your fall protection equipment, anchorage systems, employee practices, and written program are providing the level of protection you expect?
IES Safety can help evaluate your current program and identify practical opportunities for improvement.
Fall Protection Services Include:
- Fall Protection Services Include:
- Fall Protection Equipment Inspections
- Anchor Inspection and Evaluation
- Facility Fall Protection Audits
- Fall Protection Program Reviews
- Fall Protection Consultation
- Competent Person Training
- Harness Fit Evaluation
- Site-Specific Fall Protection Training
Contact Us
Contact IES Safety to discuss your facility’s fall protection inspection, assessment, consulting, or training needs.
