The following slides describe a crane accident that claimed the lives of two workers in Norway.

News: Two workers died while dismantling a crane. The counter weight beam (back- bridge) came out of control and fell 40 meters to the ground, together with one worker, who was wearing a full body harness not connected to any anchor. The other worker had full body harness and lanyard connected to the hand rail of the platform, but the lanyard did not have any kind of fall absorption.

End of ISI report. Following slides were compiled at Chalmette refinery

Considerations: Importance of a safety harness Pre use inspection Lanyards/shock absorbers Proper tie off/anchor points

How many of us have seen old construction photos and gasped at the chances that folks once took?

Judging from these, the terms, “safety harness”, or “tie off”, would appear to have not yet been invented.

Over the years as accidents, injuries, and deaths increased, the value of PP&E became evident Perhaps some of us can recall using the old “safety belt”, fall protection. No doubt the many spinal injuries that occurred when using this type of PP&E helped to motivate the development of the safety harness.

An engineered design If properly worn, a full-body safety harness is designed to arrest the most severe free fall and reduce the potential for injury to the wearer’s spine and hips by distributing the force of the fall equally across the chest, shoulders, thighs, and buttocks.

A lanyard extends from the safety harness to the anchorage point. A minimum of 1/2 inch nylon or equivalent rope with a maximum length to allow a fall of not greater than 6 feet shall be used. The lanyard is attached to the back D-ring of the safety harness by a safety hook and shall never be tied or knotted to the D-ring. All lanyards must be of the shock absorber type. The shortest lanyard to safely accomplish the job should be used. Another key part-the lanyard

All lanyards MUST have a shock absorber and should not allow a fall of greater than six feet Belt type also no shock absorber

shock absorber n. A device used to absorb mechanical shocks, as a hydraulic or pneumatic piston used to dampen the jarring sustained in a moving motor vehicle.

The shock absorber in a safety harness works much like the shocks in a car. In a free fall they help by absorbing, or lessening the impact. Another way to look at it is, in a free fall they have the potential of reducing trauma suffered to the body. Thought: In the crane incident referred to earlier, a shock absorber may have saved one of the lives.

To illustrate how PP& E has evolved. I worked one job many years ago that required all of the welders to use this type rather than the nylon lanyard. Not much protection other than ensuring a sudden stop in the event of a free fall. An obsolete cable type safety lanyard.

Some don’t use a safety harness because: * I have been getting by without it for years. * I am always careful when climbing. * They are a pain to put on

We may go years and never actually need one. However, if we ever need one and are without one, we may never have another chance to need one again

Loading a truck in breathing air without a safety harness Estimated height to ground ft Gambling

You may wear a safety harness for years and never need it, but the one time you do

Man missing after scaffold collapse throws workers into Detroit river November 15, 2000 Web posted at: 6:48 AM EST (1148 GMT) DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Rescue workers searched to no avail for a man who plunged into the chilly Detroit River when a scaffold on a bridge between the United States and Canada collapsed in gusty wind. Three of the 10 workers on the scaffold Tuesday were thrown into the icy water. Two of them were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard but a third was missing.

Think they were glad they were tied off?

Pre use inspection The condition of a safety harness and lanyard may mean the difference between falling and not falling.

Are there any signs of: Chemical burns Cuts Tears Abrasions Dry rotting Does it have a shock absorber? Pre use inspection

What is the condition of the D ring and clamps? Are they: Bent Rusted Corroded Safety lock missing? Pre use inspection

Is it fair to say if someone wears a safety harness correctly but fails to attach the lanyard to a proper anchor point, they might as well not be wearing one in the event of a fall?

Some folks choose not to wear a safety harness at all. While some wear them thinking they can do anything without getting hurt.

I snapped this photo in 2002 while in San Antonio attending a safety conference. The guy was about three floors up grinding. Note: He is wearing a face shield and respirator. He also has a safety harness on and is tied off. What if he should happen to loose his balance and flip over the side?

I guess everything has it’s limits---- even common sense

Hopefully, none of us would think of getting onto this contraption. We have professional scaffold builders available upon request. The same holds true for quality safety equipment such as a safety harness. It is there for the asking

Before Tying Off, some considerations:

Tie off/anchor point questions: 2. How much impact will his body experience should he fall? 3. Most importantly, is there a potential for injuries and if so, what could they be? 1. How far could he fall before his lanyard catches him? 4. Finally, is there a better place to tie off? What about higher up on the scaffold? What is wrong in this photo?

When looking for a tie off, or anchor point, consider that we all may have different requirements Tie off considerations:

Not a good idea to tie off on electrical conduit or instrumentation Tie off considerations:

Electrical unistrut is sometimes only tack welded in place Tie off considerations:

How hot is the surface of what I am tying off on? Tie off considerations:

If it is hot to the touch then it is most probably too hot to tie off on. If your lanyard touches the hot surface, it can bake it and compromise it’s integrity. Something similar to dry rotting. Tie off considerations:

1.Have I selected an anchor point that will safely support me? 2. Is the tie off length of my lanyard long enough to allow me free movement to safely perform my job? At the same time, is it short enough to give me fall protection in the least amount of time? 3. Am I tied off to something that might damage my lanyard in the event of a fall? Tie off considerations:

Believe it or not. During a T/A several years ago I asked a guy to come down from the pipe rack. Upon reaching the ground he questioned what the problem was since he was wearing a safety harness and was tied off. I explained to him that the 3/8” S.S. tubing he had connected his lanyard to would most likely not even slow him down in the event of a fall. Tie off considerations:

Once again. Is it strong enough to support my weight in the event of a fall? Tie off considerations:

Does my tie off point have a sharp edge? Tie off considerations:

Before tying off, always take a minute to select the most practical anchor point that will allow you to safely perform your task/job. If you feel you may need a scaffold, don’t do the job, contact your supervisor Tie off considerations: Warning: Beware of hanging safety harnesses and lanyards around moving equipment

The following photos are EXTREEMELY graphic. The photos involve a fatality that occurred as a result of an individual being caught in “rotating equipment”. The information received indicted that a hanging lanyard of a safety harness became entangled in a rotating (unguarded), coupling, thereby causing the death

Recap

What is the condition of my harness, lanyard, D ring and clamps ? Does it have a shock absorber? Have I selected an anchor point that will safely support me? Can my tie off point damage my lanyard in the event of a fall? Is the tie off length of my lanyard long enough to allow me free movement to safely perform my job? At the same time, is it short enough to give me fall protection in the least amount of time? Remember, no loose or hanging safety harnesses or lanyards around moving equipment.

No job is so important that we can not take the time to get a safety harness and tie off propery. The job can just wait!

Chalmette Refinery A safer place to work, because of YOU R.Evans JH&SC It’s a practice we can live with