Residential Roofs

Because of difficulties in training residential roof workers, elimination of hazards seems to be the most feasible goal.  A large enough crane capacity and boom length, plus pre-assembly at ground level, can go a long way toward the elmination of fall hazards.

Residential roof installations should be viewed as opportunities for creative fall protection, particularly using the upper wall studs and cross members as a railing rather than a working surface.  This can be accomplished through the use of temporary plywood floors and stepladders.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 339.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Cable System Anchorages

Cable systems used for anchorages around buildings or structures on the roof should be made of stainless steel, with fittings attached according to the wire-rope manufacturer’s instructions or standard rigging handbooks.  Cable systems used for anchorages should be designed, installed and tested by a licensed professional engineer experienced in such design, prior to being used for the attachment of suspension or fall arrest lines.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 346.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Ladder Types

Ladders comprise an almost infinite combination of steps and handholds for ascent and descent from one level to another. In general, there are 12 inches between each level, and the horizontal gripping element and foot placement are called “rungs”.  Rungs can be supported by side rails at each end, typically 16-18 inches apart.  If ladders can be moved by hand or crane, they are called portable.  If they are bolted or welded to the structure, they are called fixed.  Sidestep refers to rungs that continue up and the climber steps to a platform at the side.  A walk-through is a series of rungs that stop, but the side rails continue up and the climber exits to a platform between the side rails.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 121.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Hazards – Lanyards used for Fall Protection

It is common practice for a worker to wrap a lanyard around a structural steel section for protection against falling.  It was discovered during laboratory testing that 5/8-inch-wide (16 mm) 3-strand nylon lanyards lost up to 90% of their original strength when arresting a fall.  The test was performed according to CSA Standard Z259.1-M1976.  Similar tests on 7/8-inch-wide nylon web lanyards ended with no arrest at all.  In both cases the lanyards’ loss of strength was caused by cutting action of the edges of the I-beam.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 92.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

First Worker Up Fall Protection

Rigging a first-worker-up fall protection system generally follows a pre-determined sequence of steps:

  • To identify a suitable anchor point;
  • To attach a temporary anchorage connecting component, such as an anchor strap, using a remote connecting device;
  • To attach the connecting lanyard or self-retracting lanyard of the personal fall arrest system to the temporary anchorage connector;
  • To connect the lanyard or self-retracting lanyard to the body support harness; and
  • To verify that all conncections are secure before ascending.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 319.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Harness Maintenance

Harness Maintenance

Harnesses are a critical component of personal fall protection and offer comfort and confidence when working from heights. They come in numerous general varieties that are used in various applications, including:

  • Fall Arrest
  • Positioning
  • Confined Space Rescue
  • Ladder Climbing Devices
  • Descent and Suspension

Full-body harnesses work by distributing fall forces across the shoulders, thighs, chest, and pelvis through the straps. The harness straps feature means of attaching it to other components of a personal fall arrest system, like a lanyard, via dorsal D-rings. It is crucial to keep and maintain harnesses in proper working order. Doing so could be the difference between a safe day at work or becoming injured due to personal fall protection equipment failure. 

For this reason, it is vital to perform regular inspections. Personal fall protection inspections can include: 

  • Harnesses 
  • Lanyards
  • SRL Retractables 

A safety harness inspection should be conducted every time before donning a harness. A complete fall protection harness inspection involves ensuring the labeling, webbing, stitching, D-rings, lanyards, and snap hooks are in good working order. 

Safety Harness Inspection Guidelines

When completing a fall protection harness inspection, a common place to start is the manufacturer’s tag. The tag must be legible and clear to be able to read the following:

  • Manufacturer’s name
  • Unique serial number (this has to be traceable back to the manufacturer and all the materials used to make the harness)
  • The model number 
  • Sizing
  • Date of manufacture

If the manufacturer tag is legible, inspectors will then move on to the “hand-over-hand” inspection, where they will check the webbing, buckles, D-rings, grommets, rivets, straps, snap hooks, latches, and locking mechanisms for structural integrity. The following will disqualify a harness from service:

  • Deformities, corrosion, or cracks on D-ring or fasteners
  • Grommets not secure, missing, or bent
  • Loose or damaged mountings
  • Loose or frayed stitching
  • Worn or damaged fabric
  • Foreign objects adhered to fabric
  • UV or chemical  damage
  • Contact with corrosives or flames
  • Weld splatter
  • Cuts or holes
  • Crushing or knots

Additional Safety Harness Inspection Factors to Consider 

Under no circumstances should any user punch extra holes in a harness leg strap or reduce it from its manufactured length. Additionally, if the user can only pull the webbing through the buckle to the first grommet, a larger belt should be requested. It is crucial to note that friction buckles can loosen over time unless webbings remain taut. Tongue buckles can come undone if excess webbing is not held securely due to snagging. In addition, tongue buckles can uncouple if they are loose (especially on harnesses), therefore, users must inspect their harnesses closely before each use.

Why Partner With Ellis Fall Safety Solutions?

At EFSS, our team can assist with several critical fall prevention areas to make your workplace safer, including harness maintenance. Our company is comprised of fall safety professionals experienced in all facets of protection engineering, with a centralized focus on developing safety solutions that aid our students in learning the best safety methods and preventative steps needed when working from heights. Whether you are interested in having us evaluate your worksite or have questions about harness maintenance, you can contact us today at 302-571-8470.

Lifelines – Rope Weights

Rope Weights on Lifelines. Weighted lines are very important to keep lifeline slack from developing as the scaffold moves up from grade.  However, in some windy conditions, rope weights could damage the building, especially windows.  Physically securing the bottom of the line could be the answer in this case.  In addition, proper termination of a rope can prevent unraveling of the strands.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 235.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Anchorage Point Independence

Are anchorage points independent?  The independence of each anchor point from the main work-positioning anchor support is an important principle.  Where tripods or the building or structure itself are concerned, the question to address is, what kind of failure would likely produce an injury? Anchor-point design should address all predictable scenarios.

Is the fall protection system engineered?  An engineered system may permit the lifelines for several workers to be combined, as long as they are separate from the main work-positioning support.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 275.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Controlled Descent

There is no need to risk prolonged suspension after a fall arrest when it is possible to use an automatic controlled-descent system.  Rather than using equipment that arrests a fall but also could create a need for a difficult and costly high-level rescue, workers should use a lifeline system that automatically lowers them at a constant rate following a fall – either immediately or under rescur control, whichever is appropriate.  This is especially adventageous for external applications without obstructions below and for large confined spaces with a lower (bottom) means of egress, such as a generating or recovery boiler.  Postfall analysis is essential to solving such problems completely; often it indicates the need to substitute controlled descent systems.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 212.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!

Vertical Cable Climbing Systems

Cable guides that do not require manual manipulation to pass them are preferable.  Weather-resistant, synthetic cables that have long lifetimes in corrosive atmospheres are available.  They offer the additional advantage of radio-frequency transparency for antennas.  Synthetic cables must be protected  from wind abrasion, with the structure by suitable clearance spacing.

Telecommunications tower cable-type fall protection systems and Z-bracket rungs which may be less than 3/4 inches diameter and less than 16 inches width, must meet test requirements.

A very important principle of climbing, using vertical cable-type fall arrestors is to never hold the cable for any reason. The reason for this is to prevent the transfer of weight through the handhold above the sleeve, and thereby stop or limit the  gripping arrest of the line by the sleeve itself.

See “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” page 322.

Order your copy of “Introduction to Fall Protection, 4th Edition” today.  This invaluable resource will take you from the structure design stage to post construction maintenance. Click to find out more!