Personal protective equipment fall protection systems

CFR 1915.159—Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) [Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)]... 

A fall protection system that prevents the user from falling any distance. The system is comprised of either a body belt or body harness, along with an anchorage, connectors, and other necessary equipment. The other components typically include a lanyard, and may also include a lifeline and other devices. See also Anchor Point Body Harness, Full Lanyard Personal Fall Arrest System. 

Who Personal protective equipment and personal fall arrest systems must meet the... 

Under the fall protection rule, employers can select fall protection measures and equipment to fit the t3rpe of work you are doing. The three most common methods of providing fall protection are guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. 

You must provide and install all required fall and falling object protection before your employees begin work. OSHA s intent is that fall protection systems be in place at the earliest possible time when there is potential exposure to fall hazards. The equipment and systems must comply with fall protection rules at 1926.502 — Fall protection systems criteria and practices. The three most common (primary) methods of providing fall protection are guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems. 

Beyond 1926.950, employers will find further training provisions in Subpart V. These go over first aid, job briefings, enclosed spaces, personal protective equipment, personal fall arrest systems, working on or near exposed energized parts, testing, overhead fines and live-line barehand work, laser equipment, power-line carrier work, and more. 

All personal fall arrest systems used on scaffolds must meet the requirements of 1926.502(d). This is the fall protection standard. Paragraph (d) specifles the requirements of the fall protection equipment such as connectors, dee-rings, snaphooks, and webbing and lanyards. It also discusses horizontal and vertical lifelines. 

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

Mechanical equipment on roofs shall be used or stored only in areas where employees are protected by a warning line system, guardrail system, or personal fall arrest system. 

Be provided, at heights over 15 and up to 30 feet above a lower level, with a personal fall arrest system, positioning device system or fall restraint system and wear the equipment necessary to be able to be tied off or be provided with other means of protection from fall hazards in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section. 

B) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3)(iii)(C) of this section, each employee in elevated locations more than 1.2 meters (4 feet) above the ground on poles, towers, or similar structures shall use a personal fall arrest system, work-positioning equipment, or fall restraint system, as appropriate, if the employer has not provided other fall protection meeting Subpart M of this part. 

Fall protection equipment means guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, positioning device systems or fall restraint systems. 

Who Personal protective equipment and personal fall arrest systems must meet the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart E ( 1926.95 to. 107) and Subpart M ( 1926.500 to. 503 and Appendices), respectively. Therefore, please refer to the training requirements for those subparts, specified elsewhere in this Construction Training Requirements At-A-Glance information. For the purpose of paragraphs 1926.954(b)(3)(iii)(B) to (C), qualified employees must be proficient in climbing and the use of fall protection under 1926.950(b)(7). 

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. 

Rescue activities are important but are very fiequaitly overiooked. Even fall protection equipment manufacturers sometimes fail to list personal rescue items as parts of personal fall arrest systems. The competent person must be a rescue activity supavisw. In an educational setting with many school sites, the safety professional is usually not inunediately present. This means that someone near and supervising the activity must be a competent person with rescue duty as well. Rescuers also have various levels of competency. These positions may be filled by one person depending on the structure of the organization. 

Additionally, it would not be appropriate to use the personal protection equipment standard, 29 CFR 1910.132(d), to cite exposure to fall hazards from the tops of rolling stock, unless employees are working atop stock that is positioned inside of or contiguous to a building or other structure where the installation of fall protection is feasible. In such cases, fall protection systems often can be and, in fact, are used in many facilities in the industry. 

Employers can select fall protection measures and equipment compatible with the type of work being performed. Fall protection can generally be provided through the use of guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest, positioning device, and warning line systems. 

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. 

Climbing Safety Systems Workers climbing fixed ladders or poles need protection from falling. There are patented systems that attach permanently or temporarily to ladders on towers, bridges, antennas, or other equipment. A safety belt or harness worn by a climber connects to the climbing safety device. If a person falls, the device locks and stops the fall. 

Inadequate access systems, walkways and fall protection at worksites, especially in the use of ladders, scaffolds and other temporary solutions, unprotected openings on floors and the lack of guardrails, personal fall protection equipment not in use. 

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