The Most Overlooked Fall Hazards in Industrial Facilities

Don’t let what you don’t see become your next safety incident.

When people think of fall hazards, they often picture ladders, rooftops, or scaffolding. But in our experience at FallProof Systems, the most dangerous hazards are usually the ones that blend into the background.

Below are five of the most overlooked fall risks we encounter in industrial facilities — and why they matter.

1. Openings That Aren’t Always Open

Think roof hatches, skylights, floor cutouts, or mezzanine drop zones. These areas are often left uncovered or unguarded “just for a minute,” but that minute can change everything. Skylights in particular are notorious for being mistaken as solid surfaces — until someone falls through.

2. Machinery Maintenance Areas

Industrial equipment like silos, tanks, and conveyor systems require routine inspection and servicing — often from the top. Without anchor points, portable rails, or engineered lifelines, these become some of the most dangerous areas in a facility.

3. Catwalks and Elevated Platforms

Partial or gapped guardrails are a silent threat. Whether due to outdated design or equipment access needs, these “mostly protected” areas invite risk. One missed step or unguarded edge is all it takes.

4. Temporary Access Structures

Mobile stairs, rented scaffolds, or short-term work platforms may not meet the same safety standards as permanent structures. But OSHA doesn’t care how long something is there — if there’s a risk, protection is required.

5. Loading Docks and Truck Bays

Loading docks are usually just under 4 feet high — but don’t let that fool you. Dozens of injuries occur each year from falls at these edge zones. Workers guiding materials, distracted by forklifts, or navigating poor lighting are particularly vulnerable.

Why These Hazards Get Missed

They don’t look like traditional fall risks. They’re often in spaces no one assumes are hazardous — until someone gets hurt. These “in-between zones” are where safety plans fall short.

FallProof Sees What Others Miss

At FallProof Systems, we take a comprehensive approach to every walkthrough, identifying hidden hazards and designing solutions tailored to your space — from custom guardrails and overhead anchor tracks to mobile anchor units like The Grabber.

✅ Ready to Uncover the Hidden Risks?

Let us help you turn blind spots into protected zones.
📅 Schedule a Safety Assessment Today »

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Netting Systems Save Lives

Horizontal Perimeter Netting (HPN) Systems save lives by catching a falling worker before they hit the ground. With its concentration of skyscrapers and crowded streets, it is no surprise that New York City has led the nation in requiring HPN systems on high-rise construction projects. Due to its close proximity to NYC, Fallproof has been a leader in the design, testing and supply of HPN systems and components for over 20 years. Read more.

FallProof single point anchors provide a cost effective fall protection in manufacturing plants, distribution centers, steel mills, and other industrial facilities. Typical applications for single point anchors include manufacturing equipment maintenance, routine maintenance on elevated equipment, heavy equipment manufacturing, and processing equipment in food manufacturing. Other applications include access to tops of storage tanks, safe access to security cameras and other equipment mounted near a roof edge. Single point anchors also provided fall protection for workers where ceiling features such as pipes or air ducts prevent the installation of long run horizontal lifelines and rigid track systems. An often overlooked use of SPAs is to provide an anchor for a rescue and retrieval system which is required by OSHA as part of a complete fall protection plan. The single point anchor is a versatile fall protection application that offers a variety of solutions for different industries.
Read more.

Industrial size HVAC chillers present multiple fall protection hazards. When located on a rooftop near an unprotected edge, simply approaching the chiller may expose your worker to the risk of falling. Roof edge guardrail, horizontal lifelines, and fixed anchor points can all be designed to protect your workers as they approach and service the lower areas of the equipment. However, from a hazard analysis standpoint, access to the fans from the top of the housing is probably the area with the greatest risk of falling. Read more.

FallProof Systems is excited to announce that it started 2016 by further expanding its website with the addition of a new section dedicated solely to everyday users of fall protection equipment, and existing customers and their workers. This includes an “ask the experts” form and dedicated question and answer pages organized by industry, known as “Frequently Asked Questions” on many websites. Read more.

In addition to FallProof working hard to make America’s workplaces safer with installations of fall protection systems, we have been busy redesigning our website to serve you better! New features include:

• Improved and refined navigation;
• Responsive to all device sizes;
• Contact and request a quote forms with document upload;
• One-click calling by mouse, Skype or phone app;
• Internal site search;
• New sidebar menus;
• Blog posts by topic; and
• Patriotic color scheme.

Read more.

You’re probably familiar with the Pulaski Skyway from the opening of the TV show, The Sopranos. It’s the bridge with the black steel truss girders that Tony Soprano drives over on his way home to his New Jersey mansion.

Opened in 1932, the Pulaski Skyway is New Jersey’s most famous elevated roadway. It was built in the 1920s as one of America’s first “super-highways,” and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The skyway is named for General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish cavalry officer who led American troops in several New Jersey battles during the Revolutionary War. Read more.

Railroad Bridge Netting Installation

FallProof recently completed the last phase of a four-phase railroad bridge netting project for a major public transportation company in the State of New York. This particular project involved the netting of a 440-foot long lift bridge that spans mostly water. This involved the unique challenge of completing the entire project from a barge. We installed personnel-rated netting underneath the span, thus, providing an OSHA-compliant solution for fall protection, eliminating the need for workers to tie off while conducting maintenance and track replacement. The netting also served the two-fold purpose of debris collection. As part of the project we cleaned and inspected the existing nets. Read more.