Fall Arrest Systems: Safety, Types & Workplace Applications

Fall arrest systems are used in workplace safety to prevent falls from great heights. They're found at construction sites, factories, and most industrial locations. They can be configured to work in any circumstance, whether horizontal, vertical, overhead, or on any degree of incline.

Function

• In a fall arrest system, a worker may fall from a height and have a safety cable and harness arrest the fall before he strikes the ground.

Facts

• Fall arrest systems are designed with three specifications: maximum working load (pounds), maximum arresting force (pounds and feet), and working capacity (feet).

Types

• While most fall arrest systems are of the personal variety, used to protect a single person from falling, there are other types as well, including roof fall arrest systems and various cable and harness systems. Even simple railings or floor grating can be considered fall arrest systems.

Features

• A personal fall arrest system consists of a harness, body belt, anchorage connector, and a shock-absorbing lanyard.

Considerations

• A fall arrest system must be used on a construction site when work is performed at a height greater than six feet.