Safe work procedure for safety harnesses

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# 29 CFR, Part 1926 - Subpart M Fall Protection (cont.) ## (b) (cont.) "Low-slope roof" means a roof having a slope less than or equal to 4 in 12 (vertical to horizontal). "Lower levels" means those areas or surfaces to which an employee can fall. Such areas or surfaces include, but are not limited to, ground levels, floors, platforms, ramps, runways, excavations, pits, tanks, material, water, equipment, structures, or portions thereof. "Mechanical equipment" means all motor or human propelled wheeled equipment used for roofing work, except wheelbarrows and mopcarts. "Opening" means a gap or void 30 inches (76 cm) or more high and 18 inches (48 cm) or more wide, in a wall or partition, through which employees can fall to a lower level. "Overhand bricklaying and related work" means the process of laying bricks and masonry units such that the surface of the wall to be jointed is on the opposite side of the wall from the mason, requiring the mason to lean over the wall to complete the work. Related work includes mason tending and electrical installation incorporated into the brick wall during the overhand bricklaying process. "Personal fall arrest system" means a system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, a body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or suitable combinations of these. As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited. "Positioning device system" means a body belt or body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, and work with both hands free while leaning. "Rope grab" means a deceleration device which travels on a lifeline and automatically, by friction, engages the lifeline and locks so as to arrest the fall of an employee. A rope grab usually employs the principle of inertial locking, cam/level locking, or both. "Roof" means the exterior surface o…

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# Third Talk: Roofing Work Safety (cont.) ## How to protect workers from fall hazards: (cont.) • Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFASS), or fall restraints consisting of: a) 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. b) 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 of a PFAS. c) Connectors - Devices used to couple/ connect parts of the PFAS 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. d) 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. ## INSPECTIONS Daily inspections are required prior to use of PFASS for wear damage, deterioration or other component defect and if observed, the PFAS must be immediately removed from service. ## Other forms of fall protection systems include: • Guardrail Systems - 1926.502(b), . Safety Net Systems - 1926.502(c), Warning Line Systems – 1926.502(f), • Controlled Access Zones - 1926.502(g), Safety Monitor Systems - 1926.502(h), and - Hole Covers 1926.502(i). ## Fall prevention practices Who has seen or heard of a worker who sat on a skylight for a break, a drink or a smoke, 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 over-load a roof wi…

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CCOHS CCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Centre canadien d'hygiène et de securite au travail Fall Protection # Fall Protection - Fall Arrest Systems ## On this page What is meant by fall arrest system? What should be considered when using a fall arrest system? How can bottoming out be prevented? How is the total fall clearance distance calculated? What is the pendulum effect and how to reduce it? What is suspension trauma and how to address it? ## What is meant by fall arrest system? Fall arrest system is the name given to the group of equipment, components, and systems used to arrest (stop) a fall from height. These systems can be used to protect workers who that are working at heights. A fall arrest system should only be used when other methods of fall protection are not available or possible, including engineering controls (e.g., elevated platform), guardrails, safety nets, or travel restraint. Fall arrest systems should: - keep the free fall distance as short as possible, - minimize the forces of the fall experienced by the worker, - protect the worker from striking other surfaces while falling, and - protect the worker from the pendulum effect or swing falls. See other OSH Answers documents for more information on fall protection, including fall protection plan. Always use the type of fall arrest system(s) required by your local jurisdiction. and standards such as CSA Z259.17 "Selection and use of active fall-protection equipment and system", Z259.12 "Connecting components for personal fall arrest systems", Z259.16 "Design of active fall- protection systems", and others. NOTE that other requirements may be needed that are not discussed in this document. Always consult the legislation that applies in your situation and with your jurisdiction for complete information. ## What should be considered when using a fall arrest system? It is important to assess the hazards a worker may be exposed to if they fall, and the impact of…

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# Definitions - Fall Protection Access: movement by physical or mechanical means to reach a workstation. Aerial Lifts: mechanical devices such as manlifts, man-baskets, scissor lifts and bucket trucks used for access to heights. Anchorage means a secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards or deceleration devices. Arresting Force: the amount of force on a worker or test weight resulting from the fall protection system stopping the fall. This usually expresses the peak force experienced during the fall arrest. (See maximum arrest force) Body belt (safety belt) means a strap with means both for securing it about the waist and for attaching it to a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration device. Body harness means straps which may be secured about the employee in a manner that will distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders with means for attaching it to other components of a personal fall arrest system. Body-Restraint System: a single or multiple strap that can be secured around a worker and to which he can attach to a load-bearing anchorage for travel restriction with limited fall hazard such as body belts, chest harnesses and full body harnesses. Buckle means any device for holding the body belt or body harness closed around the employee's body. Carabiner: oblong ring snap hook (Europ.: Karabiner), erroneously called D-ring. Competent Person: an individual knowledgeable of manufacturer's recommendations, instructions and manufactured components who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the proper selection, use and maintenance of fall protection. Connecting means a device or lanyard used to connect the body support to the anchorage in such a way as to provide protected mobility for an elevated work task. Connector means a device which is used to couple (connect) parts of the personal fall arrest system and positioning device systems together. It may be an independent component …

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# 29 CFR, Part 1926 - Subpart M Fall Protection (cont.) ## (b) (cont.) employee's body belt or body harness attachment point at the moment of activation (at the onset of fall arrest forces) of the deceleration device during a fall, and the location of that attachment point after the employee comes to a full stop. "Equivalent" means alternative designs, materials, or methods to protect against a hazard which the employer can demonstrate will provide an equal or greater degree of safety for employees than the methods, materials or designs specified in the standard. "Failure" means load refusal, breakage, or separation of component parts. Load refusal is the point where the ultimate strength is exceeded. "Free fall" means the act of falling before a personal fall arrest system begins to apply force to arrest the fall. "Free fall distance" means the vertical displacement of the fall arrest attachment point on the employee's body belt or body harness between onset of the fall and just before the system begins to apply force to arrest the fall. This distance excludes deceleration distance, and lifeline/lanyard elongation, but includes any deceleration device slide distance or self-retracting lifeline/lanyard extension before they operate and fall arrest forces occur. "Guardrail system" means a barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels. "Hole" means a gap or void 2 inches (5.1 cm) or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface. "Infeasible" means that it is impossible to perform the construction work using a conventional fall protection system (i.e., guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system) or that it is technologically impossible to use any one of these systems to provide fall protection. "Lanyard" means 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 …

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# Full body harnesses (cont.) ## Webbing Look for frayed, cracked, cut, burned, or damaged webbing, and loose or broken stitching. ## D-rings Look for bent, cracked, nicked, or gouged rings. ## Manufacturer's label Inspect the manufacturer's label on the harness. The manufacturer's label on a CSA-approved full body harness will contain the following information: - Manufacturer or vendor identification • Size of the harness • Date the harness was manufactured • Model number Some harnesses are designed to serve more than one purpose. Check the manufacturer's label for the harness's classification. Group A - Fall arresting Group D Controlled descent Group E-Confined entry (raising and lowering) Group L - Ladder climbing Group P - Work positioning Note: A full body harness that meets CSA Standard Z259.10 is acceptable to WorkSafeBC. ## Putting on a full body harness Adjust all hardware and straps so the harness fits snugly, but still lets you move freely. Tuck in all loose straps so they don't snag or cause you to trip. Hook on to the harness D-ring (marked "A") designed to arrest falls. ## Lanyards and anchors A lanyard is a flexible line of webbing or a synthetic or wire rope used to secure a safety belt or full body harness to a lifeline or anchor. ## Using the right lanyard A lanyard that meets the requirements of CSA Z259.1 is acceptable to WorkSafeBC. Keep lanyards as short as possible to reduce the distance you could fall. Try to arrange the lanyard to limit a free fall to no more than 1.2 m (4 ft.) in a fall arrest situation. When using a wire rope lanyard for fall arrest, a personal shock absorber must be incorporated as part of your personal fall protection system in order to keep the arrest force at a safe level. An Introduction to Personal Fall Protection Equipment -6-

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# Contents (cont.) ## Fall restraint or fall arrest? Fall restraint systems prevent you from falling. Examples include: • Work-positioning systems using either safety belts or full body harnesses that attach you to an anchor and leave both your hands free to work • Travel-restriction systems of guardrails or personal fall protection equipment used to prevent you from travelling to an edge from where you may fall Fall arrest systems protect you after you fall by stopping the fall before you hit the surface below. Examples include: • Full body harnesses connected by lanyards or lifelines to secure anchors • Safety nets In choosing a fall protection system, you should first consider installing guardrails or barriers. They provide a high degree of protection once installed properly. However, installing guardrails or barriers at a work site is not always practical- that is when you may need personal fall protection equipment. ## Written fall protection plan A written fall protection plan is required prior to using a personal fall protection system for work with a potential fall hazard of 7.5 m (25 ft.) or more. The written plan should identify: • Potential fall hazards on the job • Types of fall protection systems to be used • Instructions to workers on how to safely use the equipment, and • Instructions on how to rescue a worker who has fallen and can't initiate self-rescue ## Safety belts ## When to use a safety belt You must never wear a safety belt in a fall arrest situation. If you fall into a safety belt, you could still suffer severe back and abdominal injuries. Restrict the use of safety belts to fall restraint systems only. If there's a chance you could fall, install guardrails or wear a full body harness in a properly configured personal fall protection system. ## Inspecting your safety belt Inspect your belt before each use. Check the buckle, the webbing, the D-rings, and the manufacturer's label for additional user information. If the…

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# Occupational Safety and Health Administration (cont.) ## 1910.140(b) (cont.) Carabiner means a connector generally comprised of a trapezoidal or oval shaped body with a closed gate or similar arrangement that may be opened to attach another object and, when released, automatically closes to retain the object. Competent person means a person who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in any personal fall protection system or any component of it, as well as in their application and uses with related equipment, and who has authorization to take prompt, corrective action to eliminate the identified hazards. Connector means a device used to couple (connect) parts of the fall protection system together. - D-ring means a connector used: (i) In a harness as an integral attachment element or fall arrest attachment; (ii) In a lanyard, energy absorber, lifeline, or anchorage connector as an integral connector; or (iii) In a positioning or travel restraint system as an attachment element. - Deceleration device means any mechanism that serves to dissipate energy during a fall. - Deceleration distance means the vertical distance a falling employee travels from the point at which the deceleration device begins to operate, excluding lifeline elongation and free fall distance, until stopping. It is measured as the distance between the location of an employee's body harness attachment point at the moment of activation (at the onset of fall arrest forces) of the deceleration device during a fall, and the location of that attachment point after the employee comes to a full stop. Equivalent means alternative designs, equipment, materials, or methods that the employer can demonstrate will provide an equal or greater degree of safety for employees compared to the designs, equipment, materials, or methods specified in the standard. Free fall means the act of falling before the personal fall arrest system begins to apply force to arrest the fall. Free fall …

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# Fall Protection - Fall Arrest Systems (cont.) ## How is the total fall clearance distance calculated? (cont.) The pendulum effect, or swing fall, occurs when a worker swings from side to side after the fall has been arrested. When there is swing, there is a danger of the worker hitting the ground (vertical impact), or equipment, materials, or the structure (horizontal impacts). The greater the swing, the harder the worker will hit objects in their path. The swinging movement may also cause the lanyard or lifeline to break when these lines are in contact with rough or sharp edges. To reduce swinging, the anchor point should be directly above the worker. Options also include to use a second anchor point at the same time, change anchor points to keep the lanyard or lifeline perpendicular (directly above) as work progresses, or use a horizontal lifeline, where appropriate. ## What is suspension trauma and how to address it? Suspension trauma, also known as orthostatic intolerance, occurs when a worker is suspended. While they remain suspended (hanging), the worker may not be able to move, and the pressure from their body weight against the harness will result in the blood pooling in their legs. As a result, there will be less blood (and oxygen) available to the brain, kidneys or other organs. Light-headedness, nausea, unconsciousness, serious injury, or death may result. This trauma can occur in minutes and death may occur in less than 30 minutes. Workers with head injuries or who are unconscious are more likely to experience severe health effects. An effective rescue plan will outline the procedures needed to rescue suspended workers as quickly as possible. While a worker is suspended, a relief strap or a loop tied to the harness that a worker can put their feet into may help relieve the pressure. These measures will not be helpful if the worker is unconscious (from the fall, or from suspension trauma). Workers waiting to be rescued can also try to "pump" thei…