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platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per
employee attached, or shall be designed, installed, and used as follows:
as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a
safety factor of at least two; and under the supervision of a qualified
person.”
Ensure that the structure to which you are attaching your anchorage
connector is capable of meeting the above requirements and that your
anchorage connector is installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions. Also be sure to check that the anchorage connector is
compatible with your connecting device and that it securely retains the
your connecting device without inhibiting its function. If you are unable to
determine whether your connecting device and your anchorage are
compatible, please immediately consult with a competent person or your
immediate supervisor. For more details on anchorages, please see
section 5 of this instruction manual.
2.2: Body-wear
This Full Body Harness (FBH) comprises the Body Wear component
of your Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS). Section 3.7 discusses the
different types of FBH’s, and how they may be used for Fall Arrest, Fall
Restraint and Work Positioning. Further details on these primary fall
protection applications are available in sections 2.5 – 2.7 of this manual.
Any misuse of this FBH could result in serious injury or death. Be sure to
read, understand and follow all instructions and warnings in this manual.
2.3: Connectors/Connecting Devices
Connectors and Connecting Devices are terms that are sometimes
used interchangeably. It is important to note the differences between
these two terms in order to help distinguish the parts that these
components play in the rigging of your PFAS. In both cases, these
products/components are required to have a minimum static strength of
5,000 lbs. For additional details on requirements for connectors and
connecting devices, see OSHA 1926.502 at www.osha.gov as
referenced in section 1, advisory #1.
A
connector
is any metallic, mechanical element such as a
carabiner, snap hook or rebar hook that physically links one or more
elements of a your PFAS together in a manner such that they will remain
engaged to one another unless they are intentionally disengaged.
A
connecting device
is an element (i.e. lanyard or self-retracting
lifeline) that connects your full body harness to the anchorage in an effort
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to ensure that you remain attached or tethered to the structure upon
which you are working. In other words, the connecting device is that
element which secures you to your anchorage.
2.4: Deceleration Devices
A
deceleration device
is the element of a Personal Fall Arrest
System (PFAS) which is activated during a fall event and reduces the
forces exerted on the user’s body and on the anchorage during the arrest
of the fall. In the case of a Shock Absorbing Lanyard or a Self-Retracting
Lifeline, these products are both a connecting device and a deceleration
device.
2.5: Fall Arrest
Fall Arrest
is an area of Fall Protection which focuses on stopping a
fall once it has occurred. Personal Fall Arrest Systems typically consist
of an anchorage, a full body harness and a self-retracting lifeline, shock-
absorbing lanyard or other deceleration device designed to bring a falling
user to a stop in the shortest possible distance while limiting the force
imparted to the user’s body.
2.6: Fall Restraint
Fall Restraint
is an area of Fall Protection devoted to restraining the
user of the system in a manner which restricts his or her access to the
fall hazard in a manner such that they cannot be subjected to a fall. A
typical Fall Restraint System consists of an anchorage, a full body
harness or a restraint belt and a restraint lanyard. An SAL or an SRL
should never be utilized in a restraint application as it is not capable of
restricting a user’s access to fall hazards.
2.7: Work Positioning
Work Positioning
is an area of Fall Protection devoted to allowing a
user to work on a vertical surface by means of a positioning assembly,
and restricting the user’s exposure to a fall of no more than two feet.
Typical positioning assemblies consist of a large rebar hook and a length
of chain, rope, wire rope or webbing with a double locking snap hook on
either end. These snap hooks are attached to d-rings on the hips or on
the waist of the user’s full body harness, with the rebar hook attached to
the structure upon which the user is working. An SAL should never be
used for work positioning, nor should it ever be attached to a side or hip
d-ring on a full body harness.
However, while rigged for work
positioning, the user should always have an SAL attached to the
