Personal Fall Arrest Systems

 

Personal Fall Arrest Systems 

Personal Fall Arrest Systems are one way to protect workers on construction sites where there are vertical drops of 6 or more feet. Systems must be set up so that a worker cannot fall more than 6 feet, nor come into contact with any lower level.

OSH standards requires workers to wear a full-body harness, (one part of a Personal Fall Arrest System) when they are working on a suspended scaffold more than 6 feet above the working surface, or when they are working in bucket truck or aerial lift. Employers may also choose to use a Personal Fall Arrest System, instead of a guardrail, when workers are working on a supported scaffold more than 6 feet above the working surface. 

There are three major components of a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)

• The anchor and the anchorage connector; 
• The connecting device, which is a lanyard or a retractable lifeline, with snap-hooks; 
• The full-body harness. 

 Key Requirement For Personal Fall Protections 

1. A Personal Fall Arrest System is made up of an anchorage, connecting device, and a full-body harness. The connecting device may be a lanyard with snap-hooks, or a self-retracting lifeline. A lanyard could also include a deceleration device. Make sure that you are using components from the same manufacturer to ensure that the system works as it should. Mixing and matching components from different manufacturer’s systems isn’t a good idea. 
2. Body belts can not be used for fall arresting service. However, a body belt is allowed as part of a positioning system. A positioning system is one way to prevent falls from occurring. It involves equipment for keeping your body in a position where you are not able to fall. For all situations where you could actually fall, you need to wear a full-body harness. 
3. Your personal fall arrest system must be inspected for damage before each time you wear it. If there are defects, or if someone has taken a fall using the equipment, it must be removed from service. 
4. The attachment location of the body harness must be in the center of the wearer’s back, near the shoulder level or above the head. 
5. Vertical lifelines or lanyards must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 lbs, and be protected against being cut or abraded. 
6. Each employee must be attached to a separate vertical lifeline. (There is a special exception when constructing elevator shafts.) 
7. The webbing, which is the materials used for ropes and straps of lifelines, lanyard and harnesses, must be made of synthetic fibers. 
8. An anchorage for workers’ personal fall arrest equipment must be independent of any anchorage used to support or suspend platforms, and it must be able to support at least 5,000 lbs. per employee attached to it. 
9. Connectors must be made from steel or equivalent materials, they must have a corrosion�resistant finish, and the edges must be smooth. 
10. D-rings and snap-hooks must have a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 lbs. 
11. Snap-hooks must also be a locking-type, (they are generally double-locking) and designed to prevent the snap-hook from opening and slipping off the connector. 
12. Snap-hooks can not be directly connected to the webbing, rope or wire, to each other, to a D-ring to which another snap-hook or other connector is attached, to a horizontal lifeline, or to any other object that could cause the snap-hook to open.

Inspect your Personal Fall Arrest System, identify all the things you need to do when inspecting your personal fall arrest system to make sure you can work safely.

Before you begin work using your Personal Fall Arrest System, you must be sure that all parts of your system are in working order. 

Read the Facts and Myths to better understand the steps you need to take to protect yourself from a dangerous fall.

ANCHOR AND ANCHORAGE CONNECTOR 

• Fact:-  Your anchorage point must be capable of supporting 5,000 pounds per attached worker. 
• Fact:- The material for your anchorage connector must be synthetic material that is resistant to cutting.
• Fact:- Each worker must have an independent lifeline attached to an anchor.
• Myth:- You can tie onto a beam or other substantial structural member that can withstand 3,000 pounds if there is only one worker tying on. 
• Myth:- You can use twisted rope as your anchor connector, as long as it is capable of withstanding 5,000 pounds of dead weight.
• Myth:- If need be, you can use a guardrail or a water pipe as your anchor.

CONNECTING DEVICE (LANYARD OR RETRACTABLE LIFELINE) WITH SNAP-HOOKS

• Fact:- Use a lanyard that has a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 lbs. 
• Fact:- Lanyard material must be synthetic and appropriate for the environment in which it is used. 
• Fact:- Lanyards should have locking snap-hooks on each end.
• Fact:- Shock absorbers must be able to reduce the total force on the worker’s body, through the full�body harness, to no more than 1,800 pounds.
• Myth:- Lanyards can be made of natural fiber rope. 
• Myth:- You can use a regular carabiner (a type of non-locking snap-hook used in mountaineering) instead of a locking snap-hook, as long as it can withstand 5,000 pounds of force. 
•  Myth:- You could use your co-worker’s lanyard when he is not around.

HARNESS 

• Fact:- Wear a body harness that fi ts snug but allows for full range of movement. 
• Fact:- Personal fall arrest systems must be inspected prior to each use. 
• Fact:- Personal fall arrest systems must be rigged such that, an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet nor contact any lower level.
• Myth:- You can use a body belt if a full-body harness is not available. 
• Myth:- Wear a body harness that is loose and easy to take off.

DON'T GAMBLE WITH PERSONAL FALL ARREST EQUIPMENT 

Unsafe fall arrest equipment contributed to the fatal 150 foot fall of an Oregon construction worker recently. Burn holes in the worker's fall arrest straps and a faulty self-retracting lanyard were blamed for the failure. These could have been discovered if adequate equipment inspections had been conducted. 

Would you gamble with your life? A lot of people do just that when they fail to inspect their personal fall arrest equipment daily. They gamble that the equipment will save their life if they fall. Wearing fall arrest equipment without inspecting it, provides a false sense of security. 

This equipment is subject to tremendous loads during a fall, so unless each component is thoroughly inspected and properly used, it may not save your life. Always follow manufacturers' recommendations when inspecting your equipment. Here are several things to look for. 

Safety Belts & Full Body Harnesses: 

• Thoroughly inspect all nylon webbing on belt/body harnesses for frayed edges, broken fibers, burn marks, deterioration or other visible signs of damage. Do the same if the belt or body harness is constructed of other materials. Stitching should be intact and not torn or loose. The belt or harness should be somewhat "soft" and flexible and not stiff from dirt or contaminants. 
• Check to see that buckles and "D" rings are not distorted or damaged. Look closely at all components for stress cracks, deformity, gouging, corrosion and sharp edges. Inspect connection points where the buckle or "D" ring is attached to the belt or body harness. Insure that no stitching is pulled and that the buckle or "D" ring is securely attached. 
• Inspect all rivets and grommets to be certain they are not deformed, and are securely fastened to the belt or body harness and cannot be pulled loose. 
• If you find any of these conditions during the inspection, do not use the equipment. 

Lanyards: 

• Completely check the entire length of the lanyard. looking for cuts, fraying, deterioration, knots, kinks, burns or visible signs of damage. Stitching should be intact and not torn or loose. Spliced ends must also be carefully examined for damage or deterioration. Check to see that the lanyard is somewhat "soft" and not stiff from dirt or contaminants.
• If using a "shock absorber" type of lanyard, look for the "warning tag" which indicates that the lanyard has been exposed to a fall.

Personal fall arrest systems are one way to protect workers from falls. In general, workers must have fall protection when they could fall 6 feet or more while they are working.

https://www.safetygoodwe.com/safety-telegram