Anchorage Load

Unless the fall event occurs directly underneath the horizontal lifeline, additional lateral loadings will be produced in the anchorages due to offset from the lifeline centerline. The magnitude of these forces is directly related to the offset distance and should be set equal to the maximum vertical load encountered in the line for the total number of workers on the system.  This  load shall be applied in either direction at the end anchorage for analysis and design purposes.

Termination hardware and other accessories also should be checked against the anchorage load  to be certain that the entire fall arrest system meets OSHA requirements.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 301.

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Equipment Use

The primary rule is to apply fall protection when the height hazard exceeds a reasonable figure of a few feet – or at any height, if continued exposure is not preventable. The responsibility of the equipment vendor to educate an end user is limited by the extent that the customer (i.e., the end user’s employer) has a bona fide no-fall policy rather than a tie-off policy, which is common among employers.  It also depends upon the manufacturer’s instructions, labeling, and product literature, and whether the employer and employees follow these items for reasonably foreseeable or permitted uses.  Workers must be provided with, and be required to read and understand, product instructions and labeling on fall arrest equipment.

See “Introduction to Fall Production, 4th Edition” page 76.

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Connecting Hardware

The choice of snaphooks to link rope-grab components is a vital safety matter.  Only instructions from the manufacturer of the rope grab should be followed to ensure  the hardware is compatible.  No other snaphooks should  be  used to avoide potential roll-out or burst-out.  Other parts of this book address the problems of mixing and matching and misuse.  All snaphooks should be of self-locking design, maintained in optimum operating condition, and discarded if they are jammed or damaged.

If a manufacturer’s snaphook instructions for use and inspection are not crystal clear, a new manufacturer should be sought.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 236.

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Anchorage Structures

Ladder rungs or steps, and guardrails or railings of any kind, should not be used for fall arrest anchorages unless they are designed and  labeled specifically for that purpose.  Steel members should be used for anchorage-point structures whenever possible.  Masonry fittings can be suitable when used with through-bolts and plate washers.  Expanded anchor bolts should  be specified by a registered professional engineer.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” Appendix C page 514.

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Rescue Devices

It should be noted that a manually operated mechanical device could  be utilized optimally at a lift rate of 10 to 20 feet per minute under demonstration conditions.  Remember that the object of the retrieval process is to extricate the worker within 4 minutes, the rule-of-thumb limit for the onset of brain damage from oxygen deprivation.  Therefore, when manually powered hoists are used to provide access from more than a 50-foot depth, a pneumatic operation should be the primary lifting force.  Another factor in the 50-foot limit is the static, muscle work duration for upper-body cranking, set at approximately 30 pounds when non-stop for several minutes (5:1 ratio with 12-inch lever arm).

See “Introduction to Fall Protection,4th Edition” page 370.

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Residential Roofs

Because of difficulties in training residential roof workers, elimination of hazards seems to be the most feasible goal.  A large enough crane capacity and boom length, plus pre-assembly at ground level, can go a long way toward the elmination of fall hazards.

Residential roof installations should be viewed as opportunities for creative fall protection, particularly using the upper wall studs and cross members as a railing rather than a working surface.  This can be accomplished through the use of temporary plywood floors and stepladders.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 339.

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Cable System Anchorages

Cable systems used for anchorages around buildings or structures on the roof should be made of stainless steel, with fittings attached according to the wire-rope manufacturer’s instructions or standard rigging handbooks.  Cable systems used for anchorages should be designed, installed and tested by a licensed professional engineer experienced in such design, prior to being used for the attachment of suspension or fall arrest lines.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 346.

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Ladder Types

Ladders comprise an almost infinite combination of steps and handholds for ascent and descent from one level to another. In general, there are 12 inches between each level, and the horizontal gripping element and foot placement are called “rungs”.  Rungs can be supported by side rails at each end, typically 16-18 inches apart.  If ladders can be moved by hand or crane, they are called portable.  If they are bolted or welded to the structure, they are called fixed.  Sidestep refers to rungs that continue up and the climber steps to a platform at the side.  A walk-through is a series of rungs that stop, but the side rails continue up and the climber exits to a platform between the side rails.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 121.

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Hazards – Lanyards used for Fall Protection

It is common practice for a worker to wrap a lanyard around a structural steel section for protection against falling.  It was discovered during laboratory testing that 5/8-inch-wide (16 mm) 3-strand nylon lanyards lost up to 90% of their original strength when arresting a fall.  The test was performed according to CSA Standard Z259.1-M1976.  Similar tests on 7/8-inch-wide nylon web lanyards ended with no arrest at all.  In both cases the lanyards’ loss of strength was caused by cutting action of the edges of the I-beam.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 92.

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First Worker Up Fall Protection

Rigging a first-worker-up fall protection system generally follows a pre-determined sequence of steps:

  • To identify a suitable anchor point;
  • To attach a temporary anchorage connecting component, such as an anchor strap, using a remote connecting device;
  • To attach the connecting lanyard or self-retracting lanyard of the personal fall arrest system to the temporary anchorage connector;
  • To connect the lanyard or self-retracting lanyard to the body support harness; and
  • To verify that all conncections are secure before ascending.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 319.

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