Connecting Hardware

The choice of snaphooks to link rope-grab components is a vital safety matter.  Only instructions from the manufacturer of the rope grab should be followed to ensure  the hardware is compatible.  No other snaphooks should  be  used to avoide potential roll-out or burst-out.  Other parts of this book address the problems of mixing and matching and misuse.  All snaphooks should be of self-locking design, maintained in optimum operating condition, and discarded if they are jammed or damaged.

If a manufacturer’s snaphook instructions for use and inspection are not crystal clear, a new manufacturer should be sought.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 236.

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Anchorage Structures

Ladder rungs or steps, and guardrails or railings of any kind, should not be used for fall arrest anchorages unless they are designed and  labeled specifically for that purpose.  Steel members should be used for anchorage-point structures whenever possible.  Masonry fittings can be suitable when used with through-bolts and plate washers.  Expanded anchor bolts should  be specified by a registered professional engineer.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” Appendix C page 514.

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Rescue Devices

It should be noted that a manually operated mechanical device could  be utilized optimally at a lift rate of 10 to 20 feet per minute under demonstration conditions.  Remember that the object of the retrieval process is to extricate the worker within 4 minutes, the rule-of-thumb limit for the onset of brain damage from oxygen deprivation.  Therefore, when manually powered hoists are used to provide access from more than a 50-foot depth, a pneumatic operation should be the primary lifting force.  Another factor in the 50-foot limit is the static, muscle work duration for upper-body cranking, set at approximately 30 pounds when non-stop for several minutes (5:1 ratio with 12-inch lever arm).

See “Introduction to Fall Protection,4th Edition” page 370.

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