Fall Arrest System Safety Training And Guidance

1. Fall Arrest System Safety Training And Guidance

2. Introduction Fall arrest is a fall protection system that involves safely stopping a person from falling. Other forms of fall protection are fall guarding, protection preventing a person’s access to a fall hazard area and fall restraint i.e. protection preventing the falling of persons working in a fall hazard area. Fall arrest systems are necessary in situations that involve working in elevating positions and pose a falling risk for the worker. They should be used by anyone working at a height of 6 feet or more. Working height represents the distance between the walking or working surface and the lower level.

3. There are two major types of fall arrest system, general nets and personal lifelines used in Australia. The fall arrest system only comes into service when or if a fall occurs. According to industry standards, only retractable lifelines, or full-body harnesses with shock-absorbing lanyards are accepted as personal fall arrest systems. Full-body harnesses distribute forces throughout the workers’ body, while shock-absorbing lanyards decrease total fall arresting forces. Let us read more about personal fall safety training and how we can follow them properly.

4. Types of Fall Protection Equipment

5. Positioning: These systems hold workers in place while leaving their hands free, to allow them to work. They are activated every time the workers lean back. They do not provide fall arrest. Suspension: These systems lower and support workers while leaving their hands free for the activities they need to perform. They are commonly used in painting and window washing, in conjunction with fall arrest systems. Retrieval: This category covers retrieval methods in the event of a fall and should be included in all fall management programs. As you can see, fall arrest systems are an important way to provide effective protection in case a fall occurs. The other categories are meant to prevent falls or diminish consequences.

6. Personal Fall Arrest Systems When conducting roofing work, there are many ways to prevent fall hazards. If workers use a Personal Fall Arrest System, the employer must provide a full body harness, lanyard and/or lifeline, for each worker, and an anchorage point independent of supporting any other platforms, but capable of supporting 5,000 lbs, per each attached worker. Industrial rope access Sydney makes sure it fits the worker, and regularly inspect all fall protection equipment to ensure that it’s still in good condition.

7. If workers do not routinely use their personal fall safety equipment, they may neglect routine daily inspection of their equipment and when required to use their personal fall arrest system, a component part may fail! Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and even experienced workers can be hurt and killed in falls. Rope access training, staying connected and tying-off to a proper anchorage point at the job site, will help secure lives.

8. Personal Fall Arrest Systems Consist Of

9. Anchorage: A fixed and secured point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards, or deceleration devices capable of supporting 5,000 lbs. Sound anchorages include: structural members, but not standpipes, vents, other piping systems and electrical conduit.

10. Body Harness: Straps which may be secured to the body in a manner which will distribute fall arrest forces over the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders, with a means to attach to other components.

11. Connectors: Devices used to connect parts of the personal fall arrest system and positioning system devices together, e.g. a carabiner or an integral part of the system such as a dee-ring or buckle sewn into a body harness or a locking snap-hook.

12. Deceleration Device: Any mechanism, such as a rope grab, rip-stitch lanyard, specially-woven lanyard, tearing or deforming lanyards, automatic self retracting lifelines/lanyards, which serves to dissipate a substantial amount of energy during a fall arrest, or otherwise limit the energy imposed on an employee during fall arrest

13. Fall Protection System Types and Specifics Depending on the purpose they serve, and the activities they are used for, industrial standard recommends different types of height safety installation: • Body belts restrain persons working in hazardous positions to reduce fall risk. They are for positioning only, so they cannot replace fall arrest systems. • Chest harnesses can be used in environments with limited fall hazard that does not include vertical free fall, or for retrieval of persons from tanks, bins, or narrow spaces. • Full body harnesses have the power to arrest the most dangerous falls. • Suspension belts can be used to support workers needing to adjust their position vertically or to perform various activities while hanging. • Rope lanyards are used as restraint means due to their elastic properties.

14. Web lanyards are ideal for work environments with fall hazards under 2 feet. • Cable lanyards work best in hot or corrosive environments but should be backed up by shock absorbing systems. • Shock absorbers reduce fall arresting forces and fall injury risks. • Rope grabs are deceleration devices travelling on lifelines, allowing safe ascension and descent of the worker or locking of the lifeline in case of fall. • Retractable lifelines ensure fall protection and mobility in high fall hazard areas. • Safety nets are best used for projects where there are no temporary floors or scaffolds, and the fall distance is higher than 25 feet. • Rails can be used on fixed ladders and curved surfaces, to prevent falls.

15. Fall Prevention Practices Who has seen or heard of a worker who sat on a skylight for a break, a drink or a smoke in between building window cleaning and then, the skylight breaks, and the worker falls onto the concrete floor below? Yet we don’t even need a skylight, or a floor opening to fall through a roof! We can overload a roof with materials and equipment until the structure fails, or we may begin to work on an older roof without first inspecting the underside for signs of damage and/or decay. Australian height safety service lets workers be productive, while they take care of their safety.

16. Steps To Take To Keep Workers Safe While Working

17. Use personal fall arrest systems and fall protection systems, always, even for shorter heights. • Train workers in hazard recognition and the Fall Protection standard to properly identify and understand the severity of fall hazards and certify through a written record. • Guard or secure covers over holes with materials of sufficient strength, and write “Hole” over the cover upon observing the fall hazard. • Provide and use safety monitor systems, warning line systems, or controlled access zones.