FALL ARREST EQUIPMENT

Fall Protection and Safety  Harnesses:

Fall Arrest equipment including  safety harnesses  are  essential to safe working at height, in confined spaces, overside and aloft.  There is a huge variety of Fall arrest equipment and safety harnesses available which could make   selection difficult for the seasoned  professional  never mind someone considering Fall Arrest equipment and safety harnesses for the first time.

Over 20% of accidents at work are fall related, predominantly falls from height leading to serious injury or in some cases loss of life. Fall arrest equipment and safety harnesses are also essential for the safety of personnel working in confined spaces where the ability to extract an injured or unconscious worker without endangering the rescuers is highly beneficial.

The primary role of fall arrest equipment and safety harnesses is Safety and when choosing harnesses in particular it is worth considering how long individuals will be required to wear these items and what stresses and strains will they be prone to . Thus  comfort and flexibility is an important factor in the choice of fall arrest equipment and harnesses.

Resmar have been involved with fall arrest equipment and safety harnesses for a number of years and have adopted the process developed by market leaders ; Capital safety (DBI SALA and Protecta) :

Anchorage ; this means a secure point of attachment for the fall arrest system eg

• Cable choker
• Tie off adaptor
• Girder loop
• Fixed beam anchor

Body Support . Full body harnesses are designed to provide a connection between the worker and the fall arrest system as well as limiting potential damage from a fall. They can also provide storage points for equipment. Key features to look out for are :

• Removable and washable padding
• Breathable mesh lining for greater comfort
• Stand up back "D" ring (for easier attachment to cable)
• Spreader bar (important in rescue situations)
• ATEX certification for working in potentially explosive atmospheres
• Impact indicator providing immediate notice that the harness has been in a fall
• Webbing that is resistant to UV light/Arc flash/paint

Connectors . These form the connection between the body harness and the anchor system.

• Lanyards
• Snap hooks
• Carabiners
• Deceleration devices
• Self retracting lifelines

Descent/Rescue. Rescue and retrieval of an injured worker is an essential feature of any fall protection/ confined space entry programme. Essential fetaures to look out for  are:

• Ease of use :A crisis is no time to realise your equipment is too complicated !
• Effective winches or SRL's (Self Retracting Lifelines)
• Horizontal as well as vertical escape