Fall Protection Equipment - ECN Electrical Forums

We discussed this briefly in the Chat room last week and I'd like to bring it up again.
How do you go about selecting the correct type of fall protection equipment for a given application?.
Is there a set "recipe" for fall equipment?.

Just as a side note, we are told here at the local PoCo, that after the end of this year our Pole belts will no longer comply with the in-house Safety regulations for those that work from poles or EWP's (Bucket Trucks) and we will be given new safety harnesses to use.
The only thing that I'm a bit "iffy" about is what on a pole, do you tie the line to?.
Personally I prefer the pole-belt.
Is this a good move for my employers?.

Bump.

Just a reminder that some harnesses are very dangerous. They cut off the circulation in the legs when you hang on them and can be deadly. If anyone can find an article on this, please provide a link (I read it several months ago). The suggestion was to have a parachute type harness, but I don't believe these are in general use yet.

If you have a situation where someone falls and is hanging and seems in great shape, PLEASE get them down quickly.

Dave

Dave,
Yes, you did read it a while back. [Linked Image]

Here is the original thread Harnesses Can Cause Death .

Mind you Dave,
On the other side of the coin, if you are working somewhere that requires the use of a fall harness, should you in fact be working alone?.

Here is a short overview of our rules in the USA.

If you are on a scissor lift, no fall protection gear is required.
If you are in a bucket, you must use fall-protection gear. This can be either a harnes with lanyard, or a body belt with an inertial cable. You have the option of tying off to either the bucket or the structure.

As an example....we recently had a city worker die after a tree limb 'bounced' him out of the bucket. He was not tied off.

Another example...a few years back, an electrician was working on a casinl sign 100 ft. up. He was tied off to the bucket. The lift had something break, so both he and the bucket fell about 100ft. He got hurt-bad.
The alternative- assuming there was something he could have anchored himself to- would have left him swinging in the breeze. Maybe passers-by would have seen him and called for help. Maybe the fire dept. could reach that high.

I tend to agree with you on the potential benefit to using anchor points outside the bucket, however the aerial lift standards prohibit anchoring to any structures outside the bucket dont they?

see 1910.67(c)(2)(iii)"Belting off to an adjacent pole, structure, or equipment while working from an aerial lift shall not be permitted."

When using fall protection gear in bucket trucks, it is important to use an adjustible lanyard and ensure that it is adjusted to serve as a restraint device, preventing the fall from occuring, as the bucket does not likely meet the 5000lbs requirement for a fall arrest anchor.

Danc,
Having worked for a PoCo for a few years, I can agree with what you are saying.
Tying off to a thing like a pole is just not done here, when working from an EWP (Bucket truck).
You are required here to tie off your Safety Belt, only to the side anchors on the side of the Bucket.
There was a serious accident here some years back, where a pole gave way, half-way through a Hot-Stick job and one of the workers was pulled out of the bucket as the pole fell to the ground.
The guy is in a wheelchair to this day. [Linked Image]

Considering that most Bucket trucks thes days have a Double Redundancy system built into the Hydraulics, there is no need to tie off to anything apart from the Bucket.
Our bucket trucks undergo a rigorous test every 3 months here and they haven't failed once.

Tiger:

I believe you are referring to "Suspension Trauma" which is caused by being suspended (many types of harness can cause this) in a harness in a position which stresses the heart and decreases bloodflow to the extremeties and brain.

Here's the real scoop... http://www.cdc.gov/elcosh/docs/d0500/d000568/d000568.html

I cannot yet cite anything to support the rule as I learned it....that is, you can "tie off" to the structure- BUT-

I have been in many situstions wher you did not remain in the bucket, or there was no bucket (as such).
Climbing a water tower or broadcast antenna is a situation where you attach your gear to the structure, and move it as you go along.
Servicing a billboard is another where you might use a bucket to get to the access hatch- then tie off to the sign as you clamber about inside.

I note that 1910.67 also frown upon climbing out of the bucket, or placing a ladder in the bucket. I also note that 1910.67 does not distinguish between a "scissor lift" and a "bucket lift."
This is unrealistic- as not only do job requirements sometimes require such activities- but OSHA 'letter' rulings have made a great number of distinctions between a "scissor lift" and a "bucket lift."

So Danc, I have to admit that you have the rule book on your side. I suppose that I'm not the first to suggest that the "book" has a few problems :-)

John,
I can sympathise with your ideas there.
I climb 110kV concrete poles every now and then hang out from the pole using only a pole belt to change out a broken insulator.
Line work is not for wimps. [Linked Image]

It has made me wonder odd time or two, what would happen if that belt snapped. [Linked Image]

You depend upon your gear to protect you.
I have stood up on the tops of cross-arms to re-position live 110kV lines before today and hooked my pole belt over the top cross-arm and hung off of that.
Being 30m (90ft) up in the air isn't a worry.
I think I trust my gear too much though. [Linked Image]

We have a saying here:

"I'm not afraid of heights. I'm not even bothered much by the fall. But that sudden stop scared the heck out of me!"

Reno: I hear where you are coming from, however:

1) I dont believe that 1910.67 was written to address scissors lifts. I think the standard is limited to equipment covered in the ANSI standard incorporated by reference therein. i will say that OSHA could not have done a worse job on the way they have chosen to provide guidance on this type of equipment.

2)using a step ladder/5gal pail in a bucket truck is dangerous and should be prohibited (IMHO). When way up high, those lifts can be really unstable, no place for a ladder...

Just so you don't mis-understand me....I have had to use a short ladder, or climb on the bucket/lift, when the framing members were of such size and spacing that the lift itself could not enter- and I had to reach another foot or so.
I was certainly not speaking of using such things simply to 'go higher.' I think, if you are going to be climbing around, that maybe tying off to the structure begins to make sense.

As for instability- the worst bucket I've ever been in was a lot surer than the best ladder.

Quote

Fall Protection—Interpretations—Federal

07/21/1998 - Aerial lift regulations; fall protection for scissor lifts.

July 21, 1998

Dennis Vance

Safety Specialist

Safety Services

711 Low Gap Road

Princeton, WV 24740

Dear Mr. Vance:

RE: 1926.451(g); 1926.452(w);1926.453; 1926.502(d); CPL 2-1.23; ANSI A92.2; ANSI A92.6; scissors lift.

This is in response to your letter of May 27 to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in which you asked whether an employee working from a scissors lift equipped with guardrails needed to wear a "safety harness." You further expressed concern for the confusion created by OSHA's scaffold standard and its directive, CPL 2.112 (sic). Please accept our apology for the delay in responding to this inquiry and for any previously submitted requests.

We recognize that there is confusion regarding scissors lifts and the appropriate standards governing such equipment. The confusion stems from the way OSHA's directive is worded. In CPL 2-1.23, titled "Inspection Procedures for Enforcing Subpart L, Scaffolds Used in Construction - 29 CFR 1926.450-454," dated January 7, 1997, the statement in paragraph K.9.b states that scissors lifts are addressed by 1926.453, Aerial Lifts, and not by 1926.452(w), Mobile Scaffolds. The directive should have more clearly indicated that only aerial lifts meeting the design and construction of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92.2, Vehicle Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms, are addressed by 1926.453 since the coverage of that section is specifically limited to such lifts. All other types of mobile lifts would be covered by the specific requirements at 1926.452(w) and/or the general requirements of 1926.451. Please note, however, that if an employer is in full compliance with the requirements of the relevant document of the ANSI A92 series, OSHA would consider that compliance as providing an appropriate degree of safety for employees.

In regards to your specific question, when working from an elevated scissors lift (ANSI A92.6 series), a worker need only be protected from falling by a properly designed and maintained guardrail system. However, if the guardrail system is less than adequate, or the worker leaves the safety of the work platform, an additional fall protection device would be required. The general scaffolding fall protection provision found in 1926.451(g)(1)(vii) reads in part, "[f]or all scaffolds not otherwise specified in this section, each employee shall be protected by the use of personal fall arrest systems or guardrails systems."

If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again by writing to OSHA-Directorate of Construction, Office of Construction Standards and Compliance Assistance, Room N3621, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20210.

Sincerely,

Russell B. Swanson, Director

Directorate of Construction

Unfortunately, in my experience, fall protection systems are usually an afterthought. Employees are often left with no other option than to choose an attachment point that "looks" the strongest, if they can find one at all. Being forced into a position where the only way to get the work done is to position yourself (and employer) at risk by violating the minimum workplace safety regulations stinks. It's a lose-lose situation.

Anchor points need to be engineered in the design phase of a project. I frequently drive by roadside construction projects and see guys with anchor points below their feet, or lanyards attached to scaffolds/guardrails, or tied off in such a way fall would result in a major swing. These are all extremely dangerous situations.

When you look at the rules for anchor points, i would think that the majority of points used, just don’t cut it!

It makes me wonder, with my climbing.
What happens if I'm climbing up to the top of the pole structure to clamp on my "Fall Protection", get up there and the pole fails?.
The top of the pole is 90ft above ground.