Fall ProtectionFall Protection

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Evaluate Risk

Assess the workplace for fall hazards. It is important to undertake a complete risk evaluation. This evaluation can be done in the form of a job hazard analysis, where the work task is broken down into a number of distinguishable steps. The steps are then analysed to determine the hazards, assess the risk and formulate/design preventive measures to protect against the hazards.

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Fall Protection Plan

A fall protection plan must be developed prior to commencing work on the project.

The plan should be documented and includes;

responsibilities of supervisors and workers on the project

erection plan and sequence of activities fall protection methods to be used engineering design requirements personal protective equipment to be

used

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6 ft

Maximum Maximum Allowable Allowable Free FallFree Fall

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Fall Distance

+ 3.5 feet elongation and arrest complete

(anchorage point)

4.5 feet from theanchorage point connection to the floor.

4.5 FT + 1.5 feet below floor before fall arrest must begin.

6 feetfall arrest begins here; shock absorber starts elongation at this point. There would be approx.. 2300 lb. pressure exertedon the anchorage point.

Total fall Distance

2.5 feet distance to the floor

9.5 feetTotal Fall Distance

Walking/Working surface

4.5 ft

230 pound worker

Don’t forget that the type ofcomponents you use couldincrease the pressures exertedon the anchorage point. Anchoragestrength should not be decreased below a 5,000 lb. point unless done by an Registered Professional Engineer competent in that field. Stop

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Fall Protection Systems

Employers shall provide fall protection systems on all projects, which shall include one or a combination of the following measures;

Guardrails / Barriers Scaffolds Elevating Work platforms Crane supported work platforms Safety Nets Fall Arrest Systems

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Guardrails and Barriers

Wherever possible, physical barriers should be provided to protect workers from falling.

GuardrailGuardrail is a permanent or portable structural system consisting of a top rail, mid-rail and toe board secured to vertical posts intended to stop a worker from inadvertently stepping off a working level and falling to a level below.

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Guardrails and Barriers

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Scaffolds

A suitable means of providing fall protection is to build a temporary floor below the working area, which will limit the fall of a worker to less than 2.5 metres. A system of scaffolding could be erected as close as possible below the working level and then moved as work proceeds to different areas of the structure.

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Scaffolds

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Scaffolds

PLANK

BEARER

BASE PLATE

CLAMPS

CLAMP

LEDGERBRACE

39”-45” HIGH

STANDARD

GUARD RAIL

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Elevating Work Platforms

The use of elevating work platforms has grown in popularity as a means to provide access to steel frame structures and connecting points in the structure. This includes scissor lifts, articulating booms with work baskets, and the like. The use of these devices must be done in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations and fall protection should be worn by workers on the work platforms.

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Elevating Work Platforms

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Crane Supported Work Platform

In some cases, the most practicable and safest way to reach a location is by a crane supported work basket. These baskets must be designed and approved by a professional engineer and rigged in a manner to provide worker fall protection. An independent lifeline must be secured above the main load hook, unless the basket is provided with a 'double suspension' system, where, if there is one suspension failure, the work basket will remain supported. The workers should then be tied back to the work basket itself.

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Safety Nets

Safety nets may be used where it is difficult or impossible to arrange for fixed barriers or to provide a proper anchoring and lifeline system for fall arrest. Safety nets present some problems; the erection of the nets may be hazardous, and the nets tend to capture materials that fall from the working surface. Safety nets shall be designed, installed, tested and maintained in accordance with ANSI Standard A10.11. The net shall be installed so that it extends 2.5 metres (8 feet) beyond the edge of the work area and not further than 7.7 metres (25 feet) below the working surface.

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Safety Nets

Safety nets must be installed as close as practicable under the walking/working surface on which employees are working and never more than 30 feet (9.1 meters) below such levels.

Defective nets shall not be used. Safety nets shall be inspected at least once a

week for wear, damage, and other deterioration. The maximum size of each safety net mesh

opening shall not exceed 36 square inches (230 square centimeters) nor be longer than 6 inches (15 centimeters) on any side, and the openings, measured center-to-center, of mesh ropes or webbing, shall not exceed 6 inches (15 centimeters).

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Safety Nets

All mesh crossings shall be secured to prevent enlargement of the mesh opening. Each safety net or section shall have a border rope for webbing with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons).

Connections between safety net panels shall be as strong as integral net components and be spaced no more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) apart.

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Safety Nets

Safety nets shall be capable of absorbing an impact force of a drop test consisting of a 400-pound (180 kilograms) bag of sand 30 inches (76 centimeters) in diameter dropped from the highest walking/working surface at which workers are exposed, but not from less than 42 inches (1.1 meters) above that level.

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Fall Arrest System

A fall arrest system for steel erection shall consist of the following components;

anchorage point lifeline fall arrestor (rope grab) lanyard shock absorber full body harness.

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The general principle for a fall arrest system is that a worker shall be connected at all times to the system when undertaking steel erection where no other fall protection system has been provided. This may mean that workers will be equipped with a double lanyard system, to allow security at all times when moving from one system to another.

Fall arrest systems should be designed to restrict a worker’s fall to about 1 meter, as well as maintaining suitable clearance in the event of a fall.

Fall Arrest System

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Anchorage point This component of the fall arrest system will

vary depending on the situation. Anchorage points can be fashioned on site or

provided for steel beams and columns prior to delivery of the material to the site.

They may consist of rated eyebolts, drilled holes, welded or bolted steel plates, beam clamps, or other devices designed to carry the design load for the fall arrest application.

The anchor attachment point should not be the connection bolt holes, it should be a separate anchor system.

They may be designed for vertical or horizontal lifeline orientation, and must be capable of carrying the design impact load 5,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons) per person attached.

Fall Arrest System

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Lifelines Lifelines must have a minimum strength

equivalent to 60mm (5/8 inch") diameter polypropylene fiber rope, and should contain ultraviolet inhibitors to prolong the outdoor life of the material.

Lifelines must be properly secured to the anchorage point and be protected from abrasion or damage along their full length. Lifelines may run vertically or horizontally (installed between two or more anchors), depending on the application.

Fall Arrest System

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Vertical Lifeline A vertical lifeline must be positively secured

to an appropriate anchoring point as described previously. It may consist of a single line secured to a column or overhead beam to which the worker attaches a fall arrestor, or a retractable block device with a lifeline that automatically reels in and out, but engages when a slip or fall occurs.

Only one worker may be connected to each independent vertical lifeline.

Fall Arrest System

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BEAM CLAMP

EYEBOLT 5/8” dia.

WIRE ROPE, 5/8” dia. or

NYLINE ROPE, 16mm

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Horizontal Lifelines Horizontal lifelines may be fixed to columns

or beams, but the system must be designed by a professional engineer and a prototype tested to ensure that it is capable of supporting the same impact load as a fixed anchor. A standardised horizontal fall arrest system may be utilised at different project sites, subject to the design criteria of the professional engineer.

Fall Arrest System

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Maximum Length

9m

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Horizontal Lifelines If more than one worker is to be secured to

the same static horizontal line, this must be approved by the design engineer.

Some considerations when designing a horizontal static lifeline system include; Minimum ½" improved flow steel wire rope for

static line Maximum distance between vertical supports

of 30’ (9m) Maximum sag of 15" between supports for a

30’ (9m) span Use an approved energy absorber at the ends

of the horizontal line to reduce anchor forces.

Fall Arrest System

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Maximum Length

9m

Maximum Sag

15”

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Fall Arrestor/Rope Grab This is a device that automatically locks

onto the lifeline when a fall occurs. It is fitted between the lifeline and lanyard and normally slides freely on the lifeline until there is a sudden downward motion. When this sudden motion occurs, the fall arrestor "grabs" the lifeline and holds firmly. Fall arresting mechanisms are also built into retractable lifeline devices, that play out and retract as necessary, but hold fast in the event of a fall.

Fall Arrest System

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Lanyard A lanyard is an approved

device located between the fall arrestor and the worker's safety harness. Lanyards should conform to CSA Z259.1-95 " Safety Belts and Lanyards“

Lanyards must have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kilonewtons).

Fall Arrest System

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Positioning Device Systems These body harness systems are to be set up

so that a worker can free fall no farther than 2 feet (0.6 meters). They shall be secured to an anchorage capable of supporting at least twice the potential impact load of an employee's fall or 3,000 pounds (13.3 kilonewtons), whichever is greater. Requirements for snaphooks, dee-rings, and other connectors used with positioning device systems must meet the same criteria as those for personal fall arrest systems.

Fall Arrest System

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Positioning Device Systems

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Shock Absorber A device that limits the force applied to the user

when a fall occurs. It is designed to absorb the kinetic energy of the

fall as the worker is stopped. The shock absorber prevents both injury to the

worker and the amount of force transferred to the lifeline and anchor.

Shock absorbing mechanisms are available either incorporated into the lanyard or as an add-on and are recommended to be used to lessen the shock to the worker.

Shock absorbers should conform to CSA Z259.11-M92 "Shock Absorbers for Personal Fall Arrest Systems"

Fall Arrest System

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Shock Absorber

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Full Body Harness This is a device designed to

contain the torso and pelvic area of a worker and to support the worker during and after a fall. A full-body safety harness conforming to Canadian Standards Association CSA-Z259.10-M90 "Full Body Harnesses" is the type to be used for a fall arrest system.

Fall Arrest System

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Columns Prior to a worker climbing a column, it shall

be adequately secured and a fall arrest system provided. The system may consist of a vertical lifeline extending from the top of the column to the base or a retractable block device anchored at the top of the column. Ideally, the fall arrest system shall be in place prior to the erection of the column so that the worker does not need to climb a ladder or use other means to secure the system. Proper pre-job planning can allow for the optimization of fall arrest system placement.

Erection Procedures

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Beams The installation of horizontal static lines

should be done prior to the erection of steel beams. This may not always be the case, and horizontal fall arrest systems can be provided after erection, as long as there are means to protect workers from falling as the systems are put in place. This may mean utilizing a powered elevating work platform or the worker being secured to a column lifeline system, as long as the travel distances away from the column do not allow for a large swing radius should a fall occur.

Erection Procedures

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Pre-Engineered Structures If a horizontal static line is to be used for fall

protection on a pre-engineered steel building, it must be engineered approved and reviewed by the building designer. Care must be taken to ensure that the anchoring system will not result in structural instability of the building at any point in its erection, should a fall occur.

Erection Procedures

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