Fall Protection Awareness Class Instructor: Ken Coats, Central Region Safety BDM

4 Components of a Personal Fall Arrest System Body Support Body Belts Full Body Harness Connectors Lanyards Self Retracting Lifelines Vertical and Horizontal Systems Anchorage Engineered Non Engineered Rescue

Full Body Harness OSHA 1926.502 (d) (16) (ii): Personal fall arrest systems shall limit the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness. ANSI Fall Arrest (always must have) Dorsal D-Ring

Connectors Snap hooks and carabiners must be self-locking and self-closing. All connectors must meet 5000lbs. All connectors must be connected to a compatible connection. NEW ANSI Standard (11/2007) Connectors shall meet 5000 lbs. and the gate shall meet 3600 lbs.

Lanyards Many different types of lanyards Needs to be able to reduce energy from 5000 lbs force to… 1800 lbs for OSHA ANSI 900 lbs or less……

Shock Absorbing Lanyards Always connect the shock pack to the Dorsal D-ring Make sure you are not exceeding the weight limit of the lanyard Never connect two lanyards together 100% Tie-Off

Clearance Calculations General Rule: “You need 12.5 ft of clearance with a 6 ft lanyard” 6.0 ft for Free Fall 3.5 ft for Deceleration 1.0 ft for D-ring slide 2.0 ft for Safety Factor 12.5 ft clearance required Freefall + Deceleration Safety Factor

Clearance Calculation What if I don’t have 12.5 ft of clearance? Raise the anchor point Use a shorter lanyard Use a SRL SRL Example 3.5 ft for Deceleration 1.0 ft for D-ring slide 2.0 ft for Safety Factor 6.5 ft clearance required

Anchorage and Anchorage Connectors Anchorages are defined as secure points to attach an anchorage connector to be used in conjunction with a fall protection or rescue system. Anchorages used for fall protection shall be capable of supporting a load of 5,000 lbs. per worker, unless certified by a qualified person who maintains a 2:1 safety factor. The maximum arresting force (MAF) on the anchor shall be no more than 1,800 lbs.

Rescue & Escape OSHA 1926.502 (d) (20):The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves. ANSI Z359.2 Rev. If emergency services are not able to answer a request for assistance in a timely manner or if they do not have adequate equipment, then companies should have in-house rescue procedures and trained personnel in place Program effectiveness should be evaluated at regular intervals of no more than two years