Fall Protection Weight

[wbd]

Hello,

As a review of some of our fall protection equipment (harness, lanyard), I have noticed that it is all rated for 310 pounds --the employees weight plus tools.

What are the options if the employee weighs over 310 pounds before accounting for tools, heavy winter clothing etc?

 

[dbaird]

Review OSHA fall arrest standards:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10758

David Baird

Sr Controls Designer
EET degree.
Journeyman Electrician.

 

[JoeTank]

Another option might be to put the workers on a diet. Just an odd thought.

Steve Braune
Tank Industry Consultants

http://www.tankindustry.com

 

[chicopee]

The 310# limits is probably the weight that will produce the limiting shock loading of the material used for the lanyards used by your company. Lanyards can be made of Nylon rope having a shock load limit of 2395# during an arresting period of .056 sec, webbing having a shock load limit of 2780# for a .048 sec arresting preriod and steel having a shock load limit of 3970 lb during an arresting period of .039 sec. Shock absorbing material in lanyards will produce an 830# shock load for an arresting period of .162 sec during a 3.5" elongation. The free fall associated with those limits are either 6' or most likely 4'. I have seen only one employee that weightt over 300#. Most employees that I have seen on Connecticut bridge jobs probably did not weight more that 200# with tool belts. Obviously tall employees of the order of 6' and over are becoming more prevalent and will easily weight 250# with tool belts. You may have to talk to suppliers and manufacturers such as Miller about your concern. For the moment you may think about switching to steel lanyards.

 

[wbd]

Thank you. i have been doing some research and one of the issues is that OSHA has a arresting force limit of 1800 lbs. As the employee gets heavier, this limit is reached.

 

[safetyguru]

OSHA has set the maxium weight at 310 lbs because of the 5400 lbs the lifeline is designed to hold. anyone over 310 lbs free falling for over 6' in distance could potenially make the system fail.