Anchorage Personal Fall Arrest System

Osha 1926 500 and 1910 140.

Anchorage personal fall arrest system.

The final rule which allows employers to use personal fall protection systems i e personal fall arrest travel restraint and positioning systems adds requirements on the performance inspection use and maintenance of these systems. Worker injury or fatality lawsuits higher insurance and workers compensation premiums and lost time. A double lanyard system that consists of a body harness lanyards and an anchorage meets the definition of personal fall arrest system in the final rule provided those components meet all of the applicable requirements in 1910 140 c and d. According to the definition in the federal osha standard a personal fall arrest system means a system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level.

A approved personal fall arrest personal fall restraint or positioning systems shall be worn by those employees whose work exposes them to falling in excess of 7 1 2 feet from the perimeter of a structure unprotected sides and edges leading edges through shaftways and openings sloped roof surfaces steeper than 7 12 or other sloped surfaces steeper than 40 degrees not otherwise. It consists of an anchor point connectors a body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard deceleration device lifeline or suitable combinations of these. Anchorages used for attachment of a personal fall arrest system must be independent of any anchorage being used to support. Examples of personal fall protection systems include personal fall arrest systems positioning systems and travel restraint systems.

When more than one personal fall arrest sy stem is attached to an anchorage the strengths stated above must be multiplied by the number of personal fall arrest systems attached to the anchorage. The consequences of failure of a personal fall arrest system can be severe and far reaching. Even with a safety factor of two an engineered system rated for applied loads ranging from 1 800 to 2 400 pounds is a very different than a 5 000 pound anchor point. Anchorages to which personal fall arrest equipment is attached shall be capable of supporting at least 5 000 pounds 22 2 kn per employee attached or shall be designed installed and used as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two under the supervision of a qualified person.

With an engineered system it is not uncommon to see applied loads ranging from 900 to 1 200 pounds for a single user during fall arrest. Fall arrest is the form of fall protection which involves the safe stopping of a person already falling.