Fall arrest equipment

OSHA regulations require that all fall arrest equipment be inspected prior to its use. This includes looking for frays or broken strands in lanyards, belts, and lifelines, and oxidation or distortion of any metal connection devices. To properly maintain the devices, periodic cleaning is necessary. Clean all surfaces with a mild detergent soap, and always let the equipment air dry away from excess heat. Follow the manufacturer s instructions for cleaning and maintenance. Because of the stress equipment sustains from a fall, any equipment exposed to a fall must be taken out of service and not used again for fall protection. 

Personal fall arrest equipment protects you from falling when working around unprotected sides and edges, leading edge work, hoist... 

Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment must be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms. 

Employees on a scissors lift must be protected by a guardrail system capable of withstanding, without failure, a force applied in any downward or horizontal direction at any point along its top edge of at least 200 pounds. Scissors lifts are usually manufactured with guardrail systems. If the guardrail system meets the minimum 200 pound toprail capacity, then employees don t need to wear personal fall arrest equipment. 

Specific requirements for fall protection and wearing of personal fall arrest equipment. 

Working from scaffolds is prohibited diuing storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe to do so. The employees must be protected by personal fall arrest equipment or a wind screen. 

Personal fall arrest equipment.Fall Protection — Equipment Systems... 

Climbers will inspect and then don proper fall-arrest equipment, including a full-body harness, double lanyards with one-hand operation, and an ascender/ descender (slider) device if the structure is equipped with a fall-arrest rail in good working condition. 

Each employee required to work on stored material in silos, hoppers, tanks, and similar storage areas shall be equipped with personal fall arrest equipment meeting the requirements of subpart M of this part. 

Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment shall be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per employee attached, or shall be designed, installed, and used as follows ... 

Fall arrest equipment must be capable of passing a drop test after exposure to an electric arc with a heat energy of 40 cal/cm if the workers using the fall protection are exposed to flames or electric arc hazards. 

Q. Does the competent person have to be qualified in safety issues relating to the use of the scaffold, such as guardrails and fall arrest equipment, or just in safety issues relating to scaffold erection and structural integrity ... 

With respect to your question — whether the competent person needs to be knowledgeable about guardrails and fall arrest equipment — the answer is yes to the extent they affect the structural stability of the scaffold. For example, if a personal fall arrest system will be attached to the scaffold, a practice that many manufacturers do not recommend, the competent person must know if the anchor points and scaffold will be able to sustain the loads of an arrested fall. 

Chainsaws must only be used by trained and competent operators using a safe system of work which fully describes the hazards involved and the measures required to reduce the risks. Such measures include the necessary personal protective equipment, for example goggles, hearing protection, and ballistic trousers or overalls the provision of safe and secure access to higher branches such as ladders or cherry pickers, and the provision of fall arrest equipment such as harnesses. There must be a high level of supervision at all times. 

The three most common types of fall arrest equipment are safety harnesses, safety nets and air bags. 

Apart from the above requirements, you ask why OSHA did not require the use of personal fall arrest equipment whenever an employee is working 15 feet or higher on a ladder (you do not specify whether you are asking this with respect to fixed or portable ladders or both). You suggest that this may have been due to fall arrest systems causing a greater hazard. ... 

The preamble to the standard does not explain why fall arrest equipment was not mandated for situations other than those specified in 1926.1053(a)(18) and 1926.1053(a)(19). However, the use of personal fall protection does not generally result in a greater hazard. Working without fall protection continues to be one of the leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry. 

The two most-used standards are the ANSI/ASSE Z359 2007 Fall Protection Code and the ANSI/ ASSE A 10.32-2004 Fall Protection Systems -American National Standard for Construction and Demolition Operations. It should be noted that the over 600-page ANSI/ASSE Z359 2007 Fall Protection Code is a more up-to-date standard and much more comprehensive than the 35-page ANSI/ ASSE A 10.32-2004 construction standard, however both are used to manufacture fall arrest equipment for people who work at height. 

Safety in falsework for in situ beams and slabs Use of fall arrest equipment whilst erecting, altering and dismantling scaffolding. National Access a Scaffolding Confederation... 

Where safe access and egress cannot be maintained because of the nature of the work, make adequate arrangements for fall prevention by design, or fall protection by the provision of safe working platforms, safety nets, fall arrest equipment and safety harnesses. 

Regulation 6(3) continues with the mandatory requirement for edge protection where the height of fall is liable to be 2 m or more. Where work is of short duration (not defined) or because of the nature of the work, personal suspension equipment can be used. The specifics are to be found in Schedule 3, and, where these cannot be met either, then fall arrest equipment must be used in the manner specified in Schedule 4. 

Are anchorages to which personal fall arrest equipment is attached capable of holding 50001b per employee attached ... 

The part of fall protection equipment, which supports the body in the event of a fall. A full body harness type is required—safety belts are not allowed for use as fall arrest equipment. 

The vertical distance between the harness attachment point at the activation of die fall arrest equipment and that attachment point once the individual comes to a complete stop. 

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