Fall Protection Personal Fall Arrest System

It is one of several forms of fall protection forms which also include fall guarding general protection that prevents persons from entering a fall hazard area e g guard rails and fall restraint personal protection which prevents persons who are in a fall hazard area from falling e g.

Fall protection personal fall arrest system.

As part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two. Examples of personal fall protection systems include personal fall arrest systems positioning systems and travel restraint systems. Fall arrest is the form of fall protection which involves the safe stopping of a person already falling. The following information generally applies to all personal fall protection systems and is intended to assist employers and employees comply with the requirements of 1910 140 for personal fall protection systems.

Fall arrest systems protect you after you fall. They arrest and restrict a fall preventing you from colliding with the ground or structures whilst limiting the forces on the body. Limit maximum arresting force to 1 800 pounds. A personal fall arrest system is required for use by all employees working from an elevated position that poses a fall risk.

1926 502 fall protection systems criteria and practices 1926 502 d 15. These systems use a body holding device connected to a reliable anchor. Personal fall protection system means a system including all components an employer uses to provide protection from falling or to safely arrest an employee s fall if one occurs. 29 cfr 1926 subpart m fall protection.

Where employees are exposed to serious fall hazards and protection by other means such as guard rails or nets are not used the occupational safety health administration requires employers to establish a personal fall arrest program for fall protection these programs typically identify common hazards and offer solutions for mitigating them usually by instructing the use of fall protection. A approved personal fall arrest personal fall restraint or positioning systems shall be worn by those employees whose work exposes them to falling in excess of 7 1 2 feet from the perimeter of a structure unprotected sides and edges leading edges through shaftways and openings sloped roof surfaces steeper than 7 12 or other sloped surfaces steeper than 40 degrees not otherwise. It is important for employers to plan prior to using personal fall protection systems.