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The equipment comprising a fall protection
system is actually a “chain”
of hardware, with each link of the chain equally important in the
protection of
the operator whose life is dependent on it working the first time. At the upper end of the chain is a roof
anchor, a broad term to describe the ultimate structural element that
resists
the dynamic loads of a 250 pound falling man.
The lower end of the chain is safety belt, or
preferably a body harness,
that carries and holds our precious commodity, the worker.
The body harness has been designed to better
distribute a fall arresting load over a greater portion of the worker’s
body,
thus minimize local loads that tend to crush bones or internal organs.
Safety Line Attachment to a Secure Roof Structure
A proper safety line anchor, now used in more
specific terms, has been
previously described under Manual Rigging as a roof anchor. The improper
roof anchor, air conditioning vent, sewer stack pipe, automobile bumper
on the
street below.
The A 39.1 Committee has recently adopted
language requiring:
a)
independent safety lines
(when used) to be secured to
certified anchors, independent of the davit and it’s supporting
fixtures, and
b)
a mechanical means, such
as a wire rope, to be secured
and linked between the davit arm’s support eye and a roof mounted
independent
anchor
Safety Line Attachment to the Platform
National Codes and Standards allow
a man’s safety lanyard to be attached to a horizontal lifeline, “dog
line”, on
the back handrail of a “permanent stage”, if the stage is suspended
from four
independent support wires. This “dog
line”, also known as a “trolley line”, consists of a wire rope strung
through
eyebolts along the length of the back handrail.
By Code, the stanchions supporting the
handrail and dog line are
required to be structurally capable of holding the 5000 pound
equivalent weight
for each worker tied off to the trolley line.
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