Fall protection Selection Guide

In 1995, 1,048 construction workers died on the job, with 32 percent, or 335 of them,
resulting from falls.

Each year, falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry, and are always a major concern in other industries. Events surrounding these types of accidents often involve a number of factors, including unstable working surfaces, misuse of fall protection equipment, and human error. Studies have shown that the use of guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers, and travel restriction systems can prevent many deaths and injuries from falls. The following are links to resources that provide safety and health information relevant to fall protection in the workplace.

What standards apply?

OSHA Standards - 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, General Industry

Personal Fall Arrest System (Section I - Mandatory; Sections II and III - Non-Mandatory) - 1910.66 App C

Follow this link for more information of OSHA-approved State Plans.

The OSHA Unified Agenda contains an entry on Walking Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems.

ANSI Standards - ANSI Z359.1-1992, Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems, and Components. (Publication Fee Applies)

Federal Registers - Safety Standards for Fall Protection in the Construction Industry. OSHA Federal Register Entry 64:38077-38086 (1999, July 14). In this advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM), OSHA is addressing 10 issues, most of which have been raised by interested parties who believe that alternatives to some of the existing fall protection rule's provisions should be permitted. They generally recommend that OSHA allow work practices rather than personal fall arrest systems and guardrails to protect employees against falls.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ANY EQUIPMENT EXPOSED TO A FALL MUST BE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE AND NOT USED AGAIN FOR FALL PROTECTION.

The following will breifly describe various systems related to fall protect.

Fall Arrest Systems

A fall arrest system is an assembly of components and subsystems, including the necessary connectors, used to arrest the user in a fall from a working height and suspend the user until rescue can be effected. A fall arrest system must always include a full body harness and connecting means between the harness and an anchorage or anchorage connector. Such connecting means may consist of a lanyard, energy (shock) absorber, fall arrester (rope grab), lifeline, self-retracting lanyard or qualified combinations of these.

Suspension Systems

The suspension configuration permits workers to sit and work safely while elevated. Unlike the fall arrest configuration, the suspension configuration distributes the worker’s weight on areas of the body capable of bearing that weight for extended periods.

A suspension system is designed to raise or lower and support a worker at an elevated work station. The connecting points of the system, such as shoulder or seat-strap D-rings, are NOT designed to properly distribute the impact forces that result in arresting a free fall. A suspension system alone cannot be relied upon to provide proper fall arrest protection; the worker must be properly attached to an independent fall arrest system if a free fall is a possibility.

Restraint Systems

A restraint system is an assembly of components and subsystems, including the necessary connectors, used to: (a) stabilize and partially support the user at an elevated work location and allow free use of both hands. This type of restraint system is referred to as a work positioning system or, simply, a positioning system. (b) restrict the user’s motion so as to prevent reaching a location where a fall hazard exists. This type of restraint system is referred to as a travel restriction system.

A positioning system includes the user’s harness and connecting means between the harness and an anchorage or anchorage connector. Such connecting means usually consists of a positioning lanyard which is connected to both hip D-rings of the harness and wraps around or connects to an anchorage or anchorage connector. A positioning system must always be backed up by a fall arrest system. A travel restriction system consists of the user’s harness and a fixed length or adjustable length lanyard connected between any one of the harness D-rings and an anchorage or anchorage connector.

Contact Argus-HAZCO for more information on Fall Protection.

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