Fall Protection In A University Setting

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction and one of the leading causes of death in general industry.  At The University of Texas at Austin (UT), we have unique challenges due to our community of students, staff, faculty, and visitors. UT has fall protection challenges from roofs that have a wide variety of configurations among buildings designed and constructed over decades. These roofs have various levels of fall protection. In addition, to the typical roof fall challenges, UT has a vibrant theatre and performing arts department that utilizes several types of theatre spaces, from relatively small “black box” spaces to the Bass Concert Hall, one of the premier theatres in Austin that hosts major traveling Broadway productions. To acquire hands-on training, theatre students work on these productions. All these spaces involve lighting support structures of some type, and many of these often result in students and staff reaching through catwalk guardrails to adjust lights. UT has formed a collaborative project management team with theatre and maintenance stakeholders, University architect, an engineering consultant, and the University’s Environmental, Health & Safety Department to create an environment for the UT Community in which accidental falls can be prevented through a combination of fall protection installations, building modifications, and personnel training. Four members of the team, including the presenter, are certified as competent fall protection persons.