The Fall Protection Equipment Checklist

In this post, we'll talk about how to choose and use personal fall protection equipment. We'll also go over some of the equipment requirements for rescue from heights and other types of ropes, harnesses, lanyards, and lifelines. If you're looking to learn more about using fall protection equipment in your workplace or home, read on!

What's The Difference Between Shock-Absorbing Lanyards For Fall Protection?

A shock-absorbing lanyard is used to protect the user from shock in situations where they need to be lowered to ground level. For example, if you were working at height on a scaffold and needed to get down safely but couldn't climb down yourself for whatever reason, you'd use a shock-absorbing lanyard to get safely back onto solid ground. Shock-absorbing lanyards are not intended for use in rescue operations as they are not designed to absorb the energy of a fall (such as when rescuing someone else).

What Are The Most Common Types Of Personal Fall Protection Equipment?

There are a variety of personal fall protection equipment options to choose from. Here is a list of the most common types:

• Lanyards
• Fall arrest harnesses, also known as body belts
• Safety harnesses, also known as full-body harnesses, have a back D-ring on the rear and leg loops around the waist and thighs to provide lateral support and help prevent falls to the side or backward
• Self-retracting lifelines (SRL), automatically lock when they sense a fall or shock load. A shock load would occur if one end of your SRL became detached or unclipped from an anchorage point. This type of SRL should never be used as part of a personal fall arrest system unless it has been certified for such use by either ANSI Z359 (American National Standard Practice) or OSHA 1910 Subpart M (General Industry).

What Are Some of The Requirements For Rescue From Heights?

There's a big difference between rescue and evacuation. When you're evacuating people from a high building, the goal is to get them down to safety as fast as possible. In a rescue situation, however, time is of less importance than safety: rescuers will work with victims to ensure that they're brought down safely and calmly.

When working on your fall protection equipment checklist for rescue from heights, remember these three points:

The Truth About Retractable Lifelines

Another safety consideration is the type of lifeline you choose. Many people think that retractable lifelines are a safer option than fixed lifelines because they can be moved around freely and are easier to store, but this isn’t necessarily true. Retractable lifelines can be more dangerous than fixed ones if not used properly, and they can also be more expensive.

If you use a retractable lifeline on the ground or when working at heights above 6 feet (2 meters), it is recommended that you use an anchor point that has been specifically designed for this purpose so it cannot move or fall over, even if there is an earthquake or other natural disaster in your area. The only way to ensure safety while using these types of anchors is by keeping them securely fastened into place throughout all activities performed while using them—even those that involve moving around without following any specific procedure beforehand!

How Can You Inspect And Care For Your Fall Protection Equipment?

You should inspect your fall protection equipment at least once a month. Make sure the equipment is still in good condition and that it's working properly. If you find any problems with your fall protection, follow these steps:

• File down any sharp edges on the equipment so they're not as sharp
• Check for frays or tears in the harnesses and lanyards, and replace them if necessary
• Replace any damaged carabiners or other connecting components before using them again
• Inflate all airbags before use to make sure they are fully inflated

OSHA and ANSI/ASSE Standards For Fall Protection

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) are two organizations that set safety standards for fall protection equipment. The OSHA standard, 1910.269, covers all types of fall protection equipment, including harnesses and lanyards. ANSI/ASSE Z359 is an additional standard that provides more detail on specific gear such as harnesses, anchorage systems, and works positioning devices (WMDs). Another important federal regulation is 1926.502, which requires employers to provide a means for employees to be protected from fall hazards throughout all stages of construction or maintenance work on roofs.

The last major legislation governing falls was enacted in 2009 by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), who produced their own updated version of ANSI/ASSE Z359-2009 with several changes reflecting current industry practices and technology. As always though there’s no substitute for doing your own research into what type(s) best fit your needs!

The best way to avoid injury when working at heights is to be prepared. We hope that this list has given you some ideas for how to protect yourself and your employees, and we want nothing more than for all of these precautions to be unnecessary. If you have any questions about fall protection equipment or need assistance with choosing the right type for your specific needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re always happy to help!