FALL ARREST SYSTEMS – RMOL 0113 – $595

Fall protection is any device, equipment, or system used to prevent an employee from falling from a working level. Fall protection should always be considered when work is performed at elevations of four feet and higher.

OSHA’s Fall Protection Standard, 29 CFR Subpart M, became effective on June 10th 1994 after being revised in 1992. The fall protection standard requires that all employees working on elevated surfaces or from a man-lift, whether they are inside or outside the work area, to be protected by personal fall arrest systems.

Two types of primary protection and three secondary protections are specified in OSHA’s Fall Protection Standard:

• Primary protection – any equipment assigned for use primarily as a fall protection device.
• Secondary protection – a safety system used in conjunction with primary systems and specialized equipment to protect an employee from falling. Secondary protections may include fall arrest, restraint or positioning devices not specifically designed for such use as well as designated work areas that do not involve falls. Equipment must be strong enough to withstand maximum anticipated loads and conditions.

There are two primary protections specified in OSHA’s Fall Protection Standard: the body belt and lanyard system, and the full body harness/lanyard system.

• Body Belt with Lanyard: The body belt is a low-cost protection option that provides an anchorage point to tie off at the worksite. Body belts are used for work on low to mid-level permanent structures or equipment, and may be appropriate in other situations as long as the belt is used properly by trained workers.
• Full body harness/lanyard: The full body harness system includes a full body harness with lanyard line. It provides total body restraint against a fall, is appropriate for almost all work situations, and is the preferred protection method.

OSHA requires that workers use only personal protective equipment (PPE) that meets the performance requirements specified in OSHA’s G29 CFR Subpart E or CSA Standard Z262-10, Industrial Occupational Safety Practice for Fall Restraint (Lanyard) Systems.

According to OSHA, there are three secondary protections specified in Subpart M: having a spotter when working within 4 feet of a lower level; use of personal fall arrest system devices; and installation of guardrails, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems along mobile work platforms if an employee could fall from the platform.

Spotter: OSHA requires employers to provide a spotter within 4 feet of a lower level when employees perform work in elevated areas, except for situations where they are secured by guardrails or personal fall arrest systems. The spotter must monitor the employee’s safety and either be in a position to prevent the employee from falling, or be able to rescue the employee if he/she does fall.

Fall Arrest Systems: OSHA expressly requires employers to provide a personal fall arrest system for use when working on an elevated surface – usually greater than four feet up – and outside of guardrail systems. Personal fall arrest systems are designed to prevent an employee’s fall if he/she loses his/her balance or footing.

Guardrails: OSHA requires employers to provide guardrails when working on elevated surfaces 4 feet and higher, except where they have been deemed unnecessary due to concerns about worker behavior and protection from falling debris.

Safety Net Systems: In certain situations, OSHA requires employers to use a safety net system or personal fall arrest systems when working on elevated surfaces 4 feet and higher. Safety nets are designed to provide protection from falling onto the surface below in areas where there is no need for employee mobility or direction. Fall arrest systems are designed for employees who need to move as part of their job.

Personal Fall Arrest System Devices: These devices are the preferred means of fall arrest when used properly by trained workers, although they aren’t required for all work situations. OSHA requires employers to provide personal fall arrest systems, choosing from a variety of options including body belt and lanyard; full body harness and lanyard; or combinations of the two. The type used depends on a number of factors including height, distance from the ground, degree of hazard and directness of access to ground level.

Mobile Work Platforms: OSHA requires employers to install guardrails, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems along mobile work platforms if an employee could fall from the platform. The provisions for guardrails and safety net systems are similar to those used when working near guardrails on fixed worksites. However, OSHA does not require personal fall arrest systems to be installed on mobile work platforms unless they extend beyond a perimeter defined by the edges of the work platform.

Fall Protection: OSHA’s fall protection standard is based on four criteria, using the latest technology in three of the criteria and setting a maximum allowable anchorage strength for lanyards in order to prevent them from breaking, thus preventing serious injury or death. These standards are meant to ensure employees’ safety while working from a raised surface.

Fall restraint systems are also required by OSHA’s scaffold industry construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.451; the standard applies to other construction operations that use scaffolds for building or repairing structures, or performing utility work.

How Employees Are Protected from a Fall: OSHA requires employers to protect workers from falling using Personal Fall Arrest Systems whenever they are working at least 4 feet above lower levels and more than 10 feet horizontally from the nearest ground level. This requirement is the same for all employers; there are no lower height or distance requirements for smaller employers, except that scaffold users must follow OSHA’s general industry construction standard.

Fall protection systems protect workers by either preventing them from falling, or keeping them attached should they fall. OSHA divides fall protection systems into two basic categories:

Fall arrest system: A fall arrest system is designed to keep employees from falling. These systems are required whenever an employee could fall at least 4 feet, except when they are working on a mobile work platform, which can be equipped with guardrails or safety nets if OSHA’s general industry construction standard applies.

Fall restraint system: Fall restraint systems are designed to keep workers from falling more than 6 feet in general industry or 10 feet in construction operations.

OSHA standards for fall protection require employers to train employees how to use the safety belts, harnesses or other devices they provide so that they know what to do in case of a fall. They must also train them how to inspect the safety devices for defects and make sure they are used correctly.

Our interactive courses are 100% online and can work from any location on any device which allows you the flexibility to complete your training at your time and convenience. A printable certificate of completion is available at the end of the course.
The Fall Arrest System course was developed to meet the training requirements for employers who require employees working on construction sites be protected from falls. This course teaches you how best practices can reduce risks associated with this type of accident by teaching proper procedure and securing equipment before starting any job site work or after completed tasks have been cleaned up completely. The training covers 11 lessons and topics as per course outline below.

• Forces involved in a fall
• Requirements and criteria for fall protection in construction workplaces
• Fall protection terminology

Lesson 2: Duty to Have Fall Protection

• Principles of fall protection
• Fall protection from falling objects

Lesson 3: Components Of Fall Protection Systems, Criteria, and Practices

• Guardrail Systems
• Safety Net Systems
• Personal Fall Arrest Systems
• Positioning Device Systems
• Warning Line Systems
• Controlled Access Zones
• Covers

Lesson 4: Program Implementation

• Safety Monitoring Systems
• Protecting an Employee from Falling Objects
• The Fall Protection Plan
• Training and Retraining Requirements

Lesson 5: Scaffolding

• Employees Working on Scaffolds
• Falling Object Protection
• Aerial Lifts

Lesson 6: Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, and Elevators

• Crane or Derrick Suspended Personnel Platforms
• Platform Specifications
• Work Practices
• Hoists and Elevators

Lesson 7: Steel Erection Work

• Employees Engaged in Steel Erection Activities
• Controlled Decking Zone
• Criteria for Fall Protection Equipment
• Fall Hazard Training/Special Hazard Training

Lesson 8: Residential Fall Protection – Fall Protection Systems Criteria and Practices 

• Guardrail Systems
• Protection From Falling Objects
• Stairways
• Working Outside of Walls
• Covers
• Material Deliveries
• Duty to Have Fall Protection
• Layout and Trusses
• Cornice
• Ladders
• Training Requirements
• Walkways

Lesson 9: Stairways and Ladders

• General Requirements
• Stairways
• Ladders

Lesson 10: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment

• Safety Belts, Lifelines, and Lanyards
• Safety Nets

Lesson 11: Subpart D: Walking and Working Surfaces

• Definitions
• Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes
• Protection of Open-sided Floors, Platforms, and Runways
• Stairway Railings and Guards
• Railing, Toeboards, and Cover Specifications
• Portable Wood Ladders
• Portable Metal Ladders
• Care, Maintenance, and Use of Ladders
• Fixed Ladders
• Subpart D OSHA Violations

Final Exam