Safety

Fall protection equipment that fits

Select fall protection equipment designed for the job and the worker’s body size, then wear it centered, snug and consistently.

Fall protection equipment that’s damaged, worn too loose, or connected to an improper anchor point all contribute to a worker’s false sense of security.
While workers at heights may believe they are adequately protected, fall protection experts report it’s not uncommon that fall protection users often don’t realize their improper donning and adjustment of fall protection harnesses, lanyards and use of anchor points puts them in peril.

“It’s not uncommon to find 25 percent of the fall protection equipment should not be used because it is damaged. On one site, 75 percent of the lanyards were damaged and should not have been in use. When we have one or two people a day dying from falls at work, it’s not a matter of when, it’s why, and we must do everything to help these workers do their jobs safely,” says Bob Cabrelli, Sperian’s national product sales manager for Miller Fall Protection.

Fall protection ABCs
Cabrelli says a competent person on a jobsite needs to consider the ABCs of fall protection to adequately protect workers. “A is for anchor point, B is for body wear and C is for connecting device. There are many combinations of these components that can provide effective fall protection for workers,” he says.

A variety of anchorage connectors are available. A popular anchorage connector is a web strap or sling that wraps around a suitable structure and provides a means of connecting a lanyard to that structure, says Bob Apel, fall protection business manager for MSA North America. Others are special-purpose connectors that provide effective anchor points in specific construction applications.
“Some lanyards, commonly referred to as a tie-back lanyard, can serve as the anchorage connector and, with a shock-absorbing lanyard, can reduce the number of components required to build a fall protection system.” says Apel.
Putting the correct system together takes some experience and knowledge of the variety of components available, says Nate Bahmbach, North American product manager for soft goods at Capital Safety. “It is part of a complete system, and you should consider the user’s need for comfort and ease of use,” he says. “Manufacturers are developing products that are easy to use and that position lanyards and connecting devices to minimize tripping hazards.” Connecting devices must be matched to the job at hand, assuring they provide the free travel needed by workers to do their jobs, but provide restraint if a fall occurs.

“Selecting fall protection equipment can be easier if the specifier taps into the experience and training expertise at manufacturers and distributorships. We often have customers send pictures of applications. Usually, general recommendations can be quickly made after a short conversation,” says Apel.

Harness selection
Selecting the right harness for the application and the user is paramount to an effective fall protection program, the experts advise.
The length of time a worker must wear fall protection should help drive selection, says Cabrelli. “If it’s only worn occasionally, comfort is less of a factor and a more economical harness will be fine. But the more a worker must wear fall protection, the more important it is to pay attention to creature comforts.” Many workers at heights carry up to 60 lbs. of tools on their tool belts, and fall protection harness can help distribute that weight to prevent shoulder and hip fatigue, says Bohmbach. “If you carry a lot of tools, get a harness with a belt that doesn’t sag. Some users may want or need cell phone pockets or loops for carrying certain tools. These are comfort items that often get missed during the harness selection process.” Harnesses that are worn for long periods should be lighter in weight, easy to put on and take off, flex and bend with the worker and minimize chafing. Plus, adjustments should be simple and stay put during use. Padding should be resilient and non-chafing, Bohmbach adds.

While some harnesses have a onesize- fits-all approach, MSA and other manufacturers provide various sizes so harnesses can be best matched to the user. “The standard size will fit 80 percent of the workers, but the other sizes provide the comfort and safety for a wide range of workers,” says Apel. “Select the size that has the least amount of webbing left reduces catching hazards of dangling webbing,” he says.

Ray Mann, fall protection technical manager at 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division for Safewaze Fall Protection, agrees that the one-size-fits-all approach isn’t worker-friendly. “Many companies lean toward purchasing a basic full body safety harness in a universal size. They have the impression these products are suitable for all workers and varying applications. The truth is that each application needs different harness features to address their fall arrest, rescue and positioning needs,” he says.

Further, he says many specifiers believe that more padding equals more comfort, but too much padding can make the wearer uncomfortable. Excessive padding can retain moisture. “Fortunately, we see a trend in companies elevating their criteria for harness selection to include features that improve comfort,” says Mann.

Fall protection equipment adjustment can vary greatly in a day. “Work clothing greatly affects harness wear. As seasons change, workers may be wearing winter overalls in the morning, then only a light hooded sweatshirt and work jeans in the afternoon. As workers put on and take off outerwear, they will likely need to readjust their harness for a snug fit,” says Bohmbach.

Too tight vs. too loose vs. just right
Unlike some jeans styles that are worn loose and low on the hips, fall protection harnesses aren’t a fashion statement, and safety experts agree a snug fit is best for fall protection.

When donning the harness, the D-ring should be positioned between the shoulder blades between 3" and 6" below the base of the neck, says Cabrelli.
The D-ring and center straps should be in about the same position as the heart, and should be snug. Leg straps must be worn snugly, but not so tight that it restricts movement. Some harnesses are designed with pivot points or stretchable webbing that allows a snug fit without restricting flexibility.

Just what is too loose, too tight or just right? Bohmbach offers this tip: “The harness wearer should be able to slide a hand under the webbing and make a fist. If you can, it’s the right fit. If you can turn your fist, it’s too loose; and if you can’t make a fist, it’s too tight.” On a fallen worker, loose leg straps jerk up into the crotch even more severely than a snug-fitting harness and can cause great discomfort, says Cabrelli. Or worse, a worker could slip out of a loosely worn harness in a fall.

Care and feeding
An important part of keeping fall protection equipment in shape for construction is regular product inspection. OSHA mandates daily inspections by the user and ANSI standards require thorough inspections by a competent person that records the inspection results, says Apel.

“The daily inspection should take only 30 seconds,” says Cabrelli.

“Check webbing, buckles and belt for frayed components, burns, cuts or tears. This is especially important if you share fall protection equipment. Any damaged components should be taken out of service.” The inspection by the competent person must thoroughly examine all components for damage. “This is also a good time to clean the equipment according to the manufacturers’ instructions because the dirt, grease, grime, paint or other contaminants can hide damage,” says Apel.

Fall protection companies are making semi-annual inspections simpler. Some manufacturers offer computer-driven inspection programs that rely on radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to recognize specific harnesses in the system. “The program will step the competent person through a thorough inspection program and records the results,” says Apel.

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Images courtesy Miller Fall Protection

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