1. Fall Protection Awareness Class
Instructor: Ken Coats, Central Region Safety BDM

2. 4 Components of a Personal Fall Arrest System
Body Support
Body Belts
Full Body Harness
Connectors
Lanyards
Self Retracting Lifelines
Vertical and Horizontal Systems
Anchorage
Engineered
Non Engineered
Rescue

3. Full Body Harness OSHA 1926.502 (d) (16) (ii):
Personal fall arrest systems shall limit the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness.
ANSI
Fall Arrest
(always must have)
Dorsal D-Ring

4. Connectors
Snap hooks and carabiners must be self-locking and self-closing.
All connectors must meet 5000lbs.
All connectors must be connected to a compatible connection.
NEW ANSI Standard (11/2007)
Connectors shall meet 5000 lbs. and the gate shall meet 3600 lbs.

5. Lanyards Many different types of lanyards
Needs to be able to reduce energy from 5000 lbs force to…
1800 lbs for OSHA
ANSI 900 lbs or less……

6. Shock Absorbing Lanyards
Always connect the shock pack to the Dorsal D-ring
Make sure you are not exceeding the weight limit of the lanyard
Never connect two lanyards together
100% Tie-Off

7. Clearance Calculations
General Rule:
“You need 12.5 ft of clearance with a 6 ft lanyard”
6.0 ft for Free Fall
3.5 ft for Deceleration
1.0 ft for D-ring slide
2.0 ft for Safety Factor
12.5 ft clearance required
Freefall +
Deceleration
Safety Factor

8. Clearance Calculation
What if I don’t have 12.5 ft of clearance?
Raise the anchor point
Use a shorter lanyard
Use a SRL
SRL Example
3.5 ft for Deceleration
1.0 ft for D-ring slide
2.0 ft for Safety Factor
6.5 ft clearance required

9. Anchorage and Anchorage Connectors
Anchorages are defined as secure points to attach an anchorage connector to be used in conjunction with a fall protection or rescue system.
Anchorages used for fall protection shall be capable of supporting a load of 5,000 lbs. per worker, unless certified by a qualified person who maintains a 2:1 safety factor.
The maximum arresting force (MAF) on the anchor shall be no more than 1,800 lbs.

10. Rescue & Escape
OSHA (d) (20):The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves.
ANSI Z359.2 Rev. If emergency services are not able to answer a request for assistance in a timely manner or if they do not have adequate equipment, then companies should have in-house rescue procedures and trained personnel in place
Program effectiveness should be evaluated at regular intervals of no more than two years