Vol.25 | No.07 | Week of 02-17-25

FALL PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

Date:

Job Name:

You are
responsible for
inspecting your
fall protection
equipment
before each use.
!

a load of 5000 pounds. equipment

Supervisor Signature:

Falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. If you are at risk for falling 6 feet
or more, you must use appropriate fall protection equipment. A person without
protection will free fall 4 feet in Ω second and 16 feet in 1 second! There are two
types of fall protection, Fall Restraint and Fall Arrest.

Fall Restraint includes such items as a guardrail or parapet wall. It can also consist
of a personal fall restraint system which keeps you from reaching an unprotected
ìfallî point. Guardrails (on scaffolds, aerial lifts and on the perimeter of buildings)
are considered to be a Fall Restraint type of fall protection.

Fall Arrest STOPS you if youíre falling. One type of appropriate fall protection
equipment is the personal fall arrest system. The entire personal fall arrest system
must be capable of withstanding the tremendous impact forces involved in a
fall. A personal fall arrest system includes a full body harness, a shock absorbing
lanyard or a rope grab and vertical lifeline and a sound anchorage able to support
a load of 5000 pounds.

DO’s

ñ Pick an anchorage point that will support 5000 lbs. per worker (strong
enough to support a pickup truck) ñ Fall arrest systems should be rigged so employees can’t free fall more than
6 feet (or contact any lower level) ñ Tie off above your head ñ Place your anchorage directly above/behind your work area to avoid
potential swing fall hazards ñ Use the shortest lanyard possible. The shorter the tie-off, the shorter the
fall ñ Have anchorage points selected by a competent person

DON’Ts

ñ Do not tie a knot in lanyard. This will reduce its strength ñ Do not use water pipes, vent pipes, electrical conduits, light fixtures, or
guardrails as anchor points ñ Do not use any lanyards without self-locking snap hooks ñ Do not join multiple lanyards together to reach an anchorage ñ Do not allow more than one worker to tie-off to the same anchorage unless
it is designed and approved by an engineer ñ Do not allow someone else to rig your equipment unless you verify that it
has been done correctly ñ Do not use an anchorage that is not independent of any anchorage used to
support or suspend platforms

Vol.25 | No.07 | Week of 02-17-25

MEETING ATTENDEES