FALL PROTECTION

SYSTEM
 FALL PROTECTION
SYSTEM
“Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” is construction’s most iconic
photo; much has changed since it was captured in 1932.
What is Fall Protection?

- A series of reasonable steps taken to cause

elimination or control of the injurious effects of an
unintentional fall while accessing or working at
height.
Where Do Fatal Fall Occur
Where Do Non-Fatal Fall Occur
Falls can be prevented and lives can be saved
though three simple steps:

1. PLAN

2. PROVIDE

3. TRAIN
 Planning for Fall Protection
• Best practice dictates that fall protection becomes
an integral part of the work planning process, from
constructibility, to systems installation, to use and
maintenance.
• The workplace cannot be truly safe unless fall
protection is incorporated into every phase of the
process.
• Planning will keep workers safe and minimize fall
exposures.
-Companies must plan projects to make sure a job
is done safely.

-Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what

tasks will be involved, and what safety equipment
may be needed to complete each task.

-Examples of fall protection measures such as:

• Warning line systems
• Controlled access zones
• Safety monitoring systems
• Covers
Competent Person
➡ means one who is capable of identifying
existing and predictable hazards in the
surroundings, or working conditions which
are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to
employees, and who has the authorization to
take prompt corrective measures to
eliminate them.
Qualified Person

➡ means one with a recognized degree or

professional certificate and extensive
knowledge and experience in the subject
field who is capable of design, analysis,
evaluation and specifications in the subject
work, project, or product.
 Fall Protection Methods

Fall Prevention - a system that will prevent a

person from falling to a lower level. (Ex. Railings)

Fall Restraint - (or Work Positioning) A system

that will allow the worker to approach a fall hazard
and work but will not allow the worker to fall to a
lower level

Fall Arrest - A system that will protect a person

from crashing on to a lower level after a fall.
(Ex.: Fall Harness/lanyard)
 Fall Protection Methods
- Fall arrest and fall restraint safety
systems are very similar, yet have
one important distinction between
the two. If misunderstood the
result could be devastating.

- A fall arrest system will stop you in the

process of a fall, while a fall restraint
system will keep you from reaching
the edge, not allowing you to fall.
Both systems are forms of active
fall protection but have very
different uses in real-life
applications.
When is Fall Protection
Required?
When is Fall Protection Required?

๏ Fall protection is required for work on

forms of steel reinforcing over 6 ft in height.
When is Fall Protection Required?

๏ Fall protection is required for scaffolding over

6 ft in height. OSHA allows up to 10 ft but in
the Lab rule is 6 ft.
When is Fall Protection Required?

๏ Fall protection is required for walking/working

surfaces over 4 ft in height in general industry.
 When is Fall Protection Required?

๏ Fall protection is required for walking/working

surfaces over 6 ft in height in construction industry.
When is Fall Protection Required?

๏Fall protection is
required for vertical
ladders without cages
over 24 ft.
When is Fall Protection Required?

-Companies must provide fall protection

and the right equipment for the job,
including the right kinds of ladders,
scaffolds, and safety gear.
 Fall Protection System
Guardrail System

Fall
Personal Fall Arrest System
Protection
Personal Fall Restraint System
Systems
Safety Net System
Positioning Device System
Warning Line System
Controlled Access Zone
Safety Monitoring System
Guardrail System
Guardrail systems are barriers erected to
prevent workers from falling to lower levels.

Types of guardrails include:

Temporary guardrails
Guardrails for scaffolds and aerial work
platforms
Stair rails and handrails
Guardrail System
Guardrail System: Construction
❖A guardrail system includes a toeboard,
midrail, and toprail that must be capable of
withstanding at least 200 lbs. of force
applied in any direction.
❖ Guardrail systems must have a smooth
surface to prevent workers from being
injured from punctures or lacerations, and
to prevent clothes from snagging.
Guardrail System: Construction

Bad Better
Guardrail System:
Cable Guardrail Construction

Proper height
Cannot deflect below 39”
Marked every 6’
Terminations and
attachments
Maintenance
Personal Fall Arrest System
A personal fall arrest system is designed
to break a worker’s fall.

The system includes:

Full body harness
Deceleration device
Connectors — lanyards, rope grabs,
anchorage connectors
Tie-off point
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components

“A-B-C” of a
Personal Fall Arrest
System
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Anchorage
- A secure point of attachment (structure)
for the fall arrest system.
- Commonly referred to as a tie-off point (Ex.
I-beam)
Body Support
- Full body harnesses provide a connection
point on the worker for the personal fall
arrest system.
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components

Connectors
- Devices used to connect the worker’s full
body harness to the anchorage system
(eg. shock absorbing lanyard, self retracting
lifeline, etc.)
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Full Body Harness
• A full body harness is required
for fall arrest. Safety harnesses
distribute fall-arrest impact
through the thighs and
buttocks.
• Safety belts (waist belts) are no
longer permitted for use as
personal fall arrest equipment.
In a fall arrest, they can cause
serious damage to internal
organs such as the spleen and
pancreas.
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components

Some studies have indicated permanent damage to the lower

extremities when the worker hangs for more than twenty (20) minutes
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Lanyards
• A flexible line of rope, wire rope, or strap which generally
has a connector at each end for connecting the body
belt or body harness to a deceleration device, lifeline or
anchorage.
• Must not be tied back to themselves unless specifically
designed for such use
• Should have the appropriate clip for the intended
anchorage points
• Do not knot or wrap around sharp objects
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Lanyards
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Rope Grabs
• Mechanical rope grabs are used to
attach lanyards to vertical lifelines.
Most rope grabs employ a device that
locks on the lifeline when the lanyard
is sharply tugged or pulled.
• Rope grabs must be installed in the
right direction.
• Most grabs are marked with an arrow
to indicate correct orientation
Personal Fall Arrest System:
Key Components
Shock Absorbers
• Shock absorbers are strongly
recommended for use in fall arrest
systems. They are absolutely necessary
with wire rope lifelines. Shock absorbers
can reduce fall-arrest loads by as much as
50%
• Some shock absorbers are built into the
lanyard. Most are made of webbing
material with tear-away stitching designed
to gradually absorb a fall-arrest load.
Personal Fall Arrest System
๏ Must be inspected to each use
๏ Attachment point to body harness shall be in
center of wearer’s back
๏ Limit fall to 6 ft and prevent contact with lower
levels
๏ Maximum deceleration to 3.5 feet
๏ D-rings and snap hooks —5000 lbs minimum
tensile strength
๏ Anchorages must support at least 5000 lbs
force
Personal Fall Arrest System
All parts of a fall arrest system must be
inspected before each use and on a routine
basis. Inspect fall arrest systems for:
•Mildew
•Wear and tear, holes, and cuts
•UV damage
•Damaged or corrode hardware

Damaged, modified, or defective equipment

must be removed from service.
Personal Fall Arrest System

Using Fall Arrest Systems Safely

Fall Restraint System
Fall restraint systems prevent the user
from falling any distance.

• Consider the force that

would be generated by the
worker walking, leaning, or
sliding down the working
surface.
Fall Restraint System
Fall restraint systems prevent the user
from falling any distance.

• At a minimum, fall
restraint systems should
have the capacity to
withstand at least 3, 000
pounds of force that is
needed to restrain the
worker from exposure to
the fall hazard.
Fall Restraint System
If the employee is protected by a restraint
system, either a body belt or a harness may be
used.

- When a restraint system is

used for fall protection from an
aerial lift or a boom-type
elevating work platform, the
employer must ensure that the
lanyard and anchor are
arranged so that the employee
is not potentially exposed to
falling any distance.
Safety Net System
Shall be provided when work surfaces are 25’
above ground or water other surfaces wheres
the use of ladders, scaffolds, catch platforms,
temporary floors, safety lines, or safety belts is
impractical.
Operations shall not be undertaken until the net
is in place and has been tested.
Shall be extend 8 feet beyond the edge of the
work surface.
Installed as close under the work surface as
practical but in no case more than 25’ below
such work surface
Safety Net System

Mesh size of nets shall not exceed 6” by 6”

17,500 foot-pounds minimum impact resistance
and must bear a label of proof test
Edge ropes shall provide a minimum breaking
strength of 5000 lbs
Forged steel safety hooks or shackles shall be
used to fasten the net to its supports
Connections between net panels shall develop
the full strength of the net
Safety Net System
Warning Line System

A warning line
system is a safety
measure that uses
flags to mark off
areas where there
is a risk of falling.
Warning Line System
Warning lines shall consist of ropes, wires,
or chains, and supporting stanchions.
Erected on all sides of roof work and
flagged every 6’
The warning line shall be erected not less
than 6’ (1.8 m) from the roof edge
Not less than 10’ (3.1 m) from the roof edge
which is perpendicular to the direction of
mechanical equipment operation
Warning Line System
Sag of no less than 34” (.9 m) and highest
point of 39” from walking/working surface
Capable of resisting without tipping over, a
force of at least 16 lbs (71 N) applied
horizontally against the stanchion
The rope, wire, or chain shall have a
minimum tensile strength of 500 lbs
 Controlled Access Zone
A “controlled access zone" (CAZ) refers to a designated
area on a construction site where access is restricted
to only authorized personnel due to a high risk of falls,
typically where traditional fall protection methods like
guardrails are not practical, such as at leading edges
or during overhand bricklaying; within a CAZ, special
safety procedures and monitoring are required to
manage the fall hazard
Controlled Access Zone
Used to control access to areas where leading
edge and other operations are taking place
Authorized workers only
Defined by control lines, barriers, markers
Control lines are rope, wire, or tape
Flagged at every 6’ or less
Lines 39” to 45” high
Controlled Access Zone
Minimum breaking strength 200 lbs
Must extend length of unprotected edge and be
parallel with edge
Erected not less than 6’ or not greater than 25’
from the unprotected or leading edge, except
when erecting precast concrete, than no greater
than 60’ from the leading edge.
Safety Monitoring System
Requires a competent person who must:
•Warn employees when it appears employee is
unaware of fall hazard or acting unsafely
•Be on the same working/walking surface
•Be within sight
•Be close enough to communicate orally with
employees
•Have no other responsibilities that could
distract from monitoring
Falls can be prevented when workers understand
the proper set-up and safe use of equipment.

Workers need training on the specific equipment

they will use to complete the job.

Companies must train workers in:

• Hazard recognition
• The care and safe use of ladders, scaffolds, fall
protection systems, and other equipments they will use
on the job
Workers responsibilities include:
Do not work at heights unless you are trained to do so
Know the hazards of working at heights
Inspect fall arrest equipment before use
Wear fall protection when required
Be aware of chemicals that can damage equipment

General ladder safety includes:

Maintain three points of contact
Place the ladder on level footing
Always face the ladder
Don not overreach
Do not walk the ladder
General Scaffold Safety includes:
A competent person must inspect the scaffold before use
Make sure workers have proper access to scaffolds
Don not climb over cross braces
Do not stand on guardrails
Do not use a ladder on a scaffold

General roof safety includes:

Always stay connected/tied off
Make sure all anchors points are safe
Protect all holes, openings, and skylights
Do not sit or walk on skylights or other openings
Planning For a Rescue
➡ The rescue plans must be written in the hazard
analysis
➡ The goal is to rescue the employee as soon as
possible and limits the hanging time to no more
than fifteen minutes
➡ Plan for a worker that is unconscious.
➡ Ensure all the rescue equipment in the vicinity.