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L. Fall Protection Basics OSHA standards state that employees who will be working at a height of 6' or more above a lower level must either be prevented from failing and/or be equipped with a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS). Fall protection can take several forms: ■ Full body harness and shock absorbing lanyard ■ Safety nets ■ Railing systems complete with top rail, mid rail and toe board ■ Hole covers (for holes/ openings greater than two inches in diameter) The most effective form of fall protection is any system that prevents employees from being exposed to the fall hazard in the first place. Where avoiding a potential fall altogether is not practical or feasible, the use of Personal Fall Arrest Systems MUST BE in place. Some fall protection basics to remember before ascending to heights above 6': ■ All ladders must be tied off at top height above ground level. ■ All anchor points must be capable of holding a 5,000 Ib. load. ■ All fall distances must be calculated to ensure safe shock absorbing lanyard deployment. Calculating fall distance is important when selecting your PFAS components. A standard shock absorbing lanyard comes in an un -deployed length of 6' and once fully deployed will reach a length of 9'. If an employee is standing/working on a structure whose top is exactly 6' above the ground and his 5,000 Ib. anchor point is 2' above that (a total of 8' above the ground) will the employee be safe during a fall? The answer is no. Here's how we must calculate safety in this regard: Height of anchor point above ground level - 8' Full length of deployed lanyard - 9' Height of center "D" ring above ground - ?(Dependent on employee height, approximate 5') If we use these lengths, the employee who fell from the top of the box will hit the ground well before his lanyard will deploy. Using these lengths, the employee in this example, including a safety factor. of 45 .