Personal Protection Equipment
10. Classification of PPE
10.8. Fall-arrest protection
ISASTUR Group in-house regulations with respect to the risk of falling to a different level indicates that “above 1.5 metres of height, workers must be provided with collective or individual protection”.
Evidently, the risk of falling to a different level may be very serious, and which, should it occur, may cause a mortal or serious accident for the worker.
| IMPEDE THE FALL | By eliminating hazards |
|---|---|
| By using collective protection | |
| LIMIT THE FALL | By placing protection nets |
| PERSONAL PROTECTION | Using fall-arrest devices |
When faced with the risk of falling to a different level, action should be taken in the following order:
Fall-arrest PPE is understood as equipment that fastens the person to an anchor point and which avoids any fall from a height or detains such a fall under safety conditions.
This type of equipment is classified as follows:
- Systems for fastening in a working position.
- Fall-arrest systems.
Systems for fastening in a working position:the aim of these is to sustain the worker at a height. They should not be used for stopping the fall and must always be simultaneously used with a fall-arrest system, which should be inactive.
Fall-arrest systems: the set of PPE that allows the fall to be arrested under safety conditions, composed of a fall-arrest harness plus one of the three elements or devices indicated below which would be used to connect the user to a safe anchor point.
| FALL-ARREST SYSTEMS | Fall-arrest harness |
|---|---|
| Fastening elements with an energy absorber | |
| Sliding fall-arrest devices compatible with a rigid or flexible anchor line | |
| Fall-arrest devices with automatic or retractile retention |
Fall-arrest harness:
This is a device worn on the body aimed at arresting falls. It may be made up of strips, fitting elements, buckles and other elements, suitably placed and fitted around a person’s body to sustain him during a fall and after the fall has been arrested.
Mooring element:
This may be a synthetic fibre rope, a cable, a chain or a belt. It must always incorporate an absorber as a component of the fall-arrest system.
Energy absorber:
This impedes irreversible injury to the worker by arresting the fall under safety conditions.
Sliding fall-arrest devices:
These may be joined to:
- A rigid anchor line.
- A flexible anchor line.
Fall-arrest device with automatic or retractile retention:
This is composed of a container with a drum and a mooring element. It may optionally incorporate energy absorbers.
Connectors are used to join the devices and harness to one another and to the anchor points, which may be carabiners or a hook.
