1. Working At Heights Fall Protection
QHSE Department Presentation

2. INTRODUCTION
Workers must be protected using fall restraint, personal fall arrest systems and safety net system
Employee must be 100% tied off at all times
Review Hazard Analysis & Risk Control and or JSA prior to working at height
Obtain permit to work when necessary.

3. Why Use Fall Protection ?

4. When do you need fall protection?
Fall protection is required anytime workers are exposed to a potential 5’ (1.5 m) fall.
Greater
than
1.5m or 5’

5. RESPONSIBILITIES
It shall be the responsibility of the Supervisors to recognize fall hazards and to provide all necessary approved Fall Protection Equipment for employee’s use whenever deemed necessary
It will also be the responsibility of the supervisor to provide required Fall Protection Training for their employees so that workers will possess enough knowledge to implement fall protection techniques in an effort to reduce the risk of injury due to fall

6. RESPONSIBILITIES Workers should be knowledgeable of:
the nature of fall hazards in the work place
correct procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling, and inspecting the fall protection systems used
the use and operation of guardrail systems, personal fall arrest systems, safety net systems, and other protection to be used

7. RESPONSIBILITIES Workers should be knowledgeable of:
the limitations on the use of mechanical equipment, and the correct procedures for handling and storage of equipment and materials and the erection of overhead protection
dealing with the rescue of an employee after a fall arrest

8. RESPONSIBILITIES
It will be the responsibility of the employee to follow Fall Protection Procedures and Techniques given them, and to assure all equipment used for fall protection is well maintained

9. WHAT IS FALL PROTECTION
Hazard Elimination
Traditional Fall Protection
Fall Restraint Systems
Fall Arrest Systems
Work Procedures

10. HAZARD ELIMINATION Ideas, procedures,
equipment or new technology that eliminates the need for a person to be at height.

11. TRADITIONAL FALL PROTECTION
“Physical barriers between worker and fall hazard.”
Primary & Secondary Systems
Examples:
- Guardrails
- Catwalks ( with guard rails)
- Gates and chains
- Grates and covers
- Man lifts

12. TRADITIONAL FALL PROTECTION
Fall Restraint System “Prevents the fall from occurring.”
“Stops the fall after it has occurred.”
Changes in behavior can be made through education.

13. FALL ARREST SYSTEMS Any system in which a fall may occur !
User must consider:
Impact Force
Clearance
Swing Fall
Suspension after fall
Rescue
System Performance

14. FALL PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Anchorage
Connecting Means
Body Support Device
Shock Absorbing Lanyard
Rescue and/or Escape Plan

15. ANCHORAGE STRENGTH
Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment must withstand at least 5000 lbs. (22.2 kN) for each person attached, or shall be designed as follows:
(i) as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two, and
(ii) under the supervision of a qualified person.

16. ENGINEERED ANCHORS
Little doubt exists when anchor points are “engineered”
NEVER use home made anchor points

17. TEMPORARY ANCHORS
There will always be a need for “make-shift” anchorages.
End-users must exercise good judgment in selecting anchorages that are strong enough and in the correct location.
A qualified person should be consulted if an anchor is in question.

18. ANCHOR STRAP
Consider location and strength when selecting anchorages.

19. SNAP HOOKS
“shall be a locking type snap hook designed and used to prevent disengagement of the snap hook by contact of the snap hook keeper by the connected member.”

20. SNAP HOOKS
Snap hooks shall be double / triple locking and sized to be compatible with anchorages to prevent roll-out.
Recognize anchor / connector relationship !

21. CARABINERS
Self-locking carabiners should be used to reduce misuse. The odds of a self-locking carabiner rolling open is less likely than a manually operated carabiner being left open.

22. CARABINERS Non-locking hooks and connectors are not acceptable !
Compatibility with other connectors and components is unknown. Consult a qualified person if shackles or other links are required.

23. ENERGY ABSORBING LANYARDS
Lanyards are used to connect to the anchor strap.
Flat webbing lanyards are the most commonly used.

24. ENERGY ABSORBERS
Energy absorbers reduce impact force to the body by deforming and adding stopping distance.
ANSI Specifications:
5000 lbs. MBS after testing.
MAF shall not exceed 900 lbs.
Max. 42 inch elongation.

25. Rescue Plan There are no specific regulations that dictate how rescues
should be performed. Regulatory agencies do require that
prompt rescues should be provided, should a fall occur.
Research has shown that when a person is suspended by the d-ring of a fall protection harness, serious medical problems will develop after 30 minutes.
This suspension time should be reduced if the worker was
injured during a fall.
The best form on rescue is self-rescue.
This form of rescue is possible if the worker has no serious
injury, is using proper equipment and has assessed the
hazard prior to the fall.

26. Rescue Plan
Assisted rescue is the next best option for rescuing a fallen worker. This form of rescue will involve other workers using equipment and procedures to raise or lower a person to the ground.
Assisted rescue should be pre planned and assigned to a
qualified person who is skilled in the use of rescue techniques and equipment.
A specific rescue plan must be written and
made available before the rescue is performed.
Rescue kits to be stored and available at location.

27. IMPACT FORCE
Depending on how much we weigh, how far we fall, and what slows us down, will determine the “impact force”.
Weight of worker
Free fall distance
Lanyard energy absorption (deceleration distance)

28. FALL HAZARD Free Fall Total Distance Fall Distance Stopping Distance
Required
Clearance
Worker
Height
Margin of Safety (2ft)

29. FREE FALL DISTANCE
“Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall… be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8m), nor contact any lower level such as the ground or a working platform”

30. SWING FALL HAZARD

31. FALL ARREST SYSTEMS Anchorage Connecting Means Body Support
Rescue and/or Escape Plan

32. FULL BODY HARNESS
“The attachment point of the body harness shall be located in the center of the wearers back near shoulder level or above the wearer’s head.”

33. FULL BODY HARNESS Shoulder D-rings * For Confined Space Back D-ring
* Fall Arrest
Front D-ring
* Ladders / Escape
Hip D-rings
* Work Positioning

34. FULL BODY HARNESS
1. Lay harness down and untangle. Inspect for damage.
2. Don harness according to style. (step in, vest, etc.)
3. Adjust sub-pelvic strap.
4. Adjust leg straps.
5. Adjust chest support.
6. Adjust dorsal d-ring.
Incorrectly adjusted
harnesses may cause injury,
decrease suspension times
or fail in the event of a fall.

35. SELF- RETRACTING LIFELINE
“a drum wound line which may be slowly extracted from or retracted onto the drum under tension.”
“after onset of a fall, the device automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall.”
WARNING: Do not attempt to
service a self-retracting lifeline
“in-house.”

36. SRL HAZARDS Maintenance required Swing Fall
Should be anchored overhead

37. LADDER CLIMBING DEVICES
Frontal attachment limits fall distance.
Short connection (9” or less) reduces impact force to the body so dramatically that injuries due to frontal attachment are negligible.
Eliminates the need for ladder cages.

38. LADDER CLIMBING DEVICES
Check sleeve for function.
Connect sleeve to front d-ring of harness using carabiner.
Do not add fall distance to the sleeve!

39. COVERS
Floor openings and gaps must be covered to prevent both people and objects from falling to lower levels.
Should be secured, marked and rated to at least twice the potential load.

40. DAILY INSPECTION - performed by end user. - prior to use.
- not recorded.
- looking for anything that affects the condition or function of equipment.
- remove questionable equipment.

41. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
Personal fall arrest systems subjected to impact loading shall be immediately removed from service and shall not be used again for employee protection until inspected and determined by a competent person to be undamaged and suitable for reuse”

42. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
Broken
“Personal fall arrest systems shall be inspected prior to each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components shall be removed from service”
Latching -Damage
Cut

43. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
1. Wear - regular wear is acceptable, once fibers are being destroyed, retire.
2. Cuts / Tears - retire once they exceed 1/8 inch.
3. Corrosion - once corrosion pits the base metal, retire.

44. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
4. Ultraviolet Light - a color change will be noticeable, retire once fiber becomes brittle.
5. Paint / Chemicals - obtain MSDS’ and consult manufacturer. Even mild paints cause fibers to become brittle.
6. Stitch Patterns – take out of service if 2 or more stitch patterns are broken.

45. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
7. Function - ensure that equipment operates correctly. Gates lock, cam levers move, SRL locks, etc.
8. Heat / Burns - retire webbing when holes are found or areas damaged by heat. Synthetics shrink and when impacted and the shrunken area absorbs most of the impact.

46. FALL PROTECTION STANDARDS
9. Impact Indicators - bent grommets, heat signatures on webbing, deformed eyelets, broken d-ring pads, integral impact indicators.
Note: All components of a Fall Protection System should be from the same manufacturer to ensure compatibility. Incompatible components can result in “roll out” where the components can slip out with the potential of releasing the person. Equipment must not be modified.

47. CARE OF EQUIPMENT
1. Cleaning - soft goods can be laundered with warm water and mild soap. Hang to dry, do not apply heat.
2. Storage - store in a clean, cool, dark, environment. Lockers, stores, or tool-rooms work well.
3. Marking - ink markers may be used with manufacturers permission. Mark non-load bearing parts. Use name tags if supplied.
4. Life Expectancy - life is determined by condition and function of unit, not time. Follow Manufacturer recommendations on service life for all items.

48. APPLICABLE FORMS Work Permit Job Safety Analysis
Pre Job Meeting – Tool Box Talk
Hazard Assessment & Risk Control