- Workers at elevation can be exposed to falls to a lower level when working. A personal fall arrest system is designed to stop workers from experiencing free fall, but even after the system engages, a worker will continue to fall. A NIOSH study compared the end effects of using a proper and improper personal fall arrest lanyard in a 12-ft free fall foot-level tie off.
- A 12-ft free fall personal fall arrest lanyard should always be used for free fall distances greater than 6 ft. A 6-ft free fall personal fall arrest lanyard should never be used at foot-level tie off. The personal energy absorber reached its maximum effectiveness during pullout and stopped extending. When this occurred, an excessive force spike was measured before the fall was fully arrested.
- Energy is absorbed in the mannequin’s harness, as well as the personal fall arrest lanyard during a fall arrest, resulting in a shorter pullout length of the personal fall arrest lanyard as compared to a drop weight.
Working at elevation presents a fall-to-lower-level exposure to all workers. In situations such as high steel erection, the typical and most effective techniques used in construction cannot always be implemented due to extreme challenges. The typical personal fall protection and fall prevention techniques utilized are:
- A personal fall arrest system requires the worker’s fall arrest lanyard, which incorporates a personal energy absorber, to be connected to the anchorage (tie off) above the D-ring on a protective harness, situated approximately in the middle of the shoulder blades of the worker.
- Fall prevention requires a form of safety railing system or barrier to be implemented.
