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To prevent a worker on one level from falling and striking another level or obstruction below, the fall clearance needs to be determined. This is the minimum distance needed between a worker’s feet and the lower level to keep them from hitting that lower level, and takes into account the fall protection equipment available or proposed. This calculated fall clearance can’t be equal to or greater than the physically available clearance, or else the worker will risk injury and death.VariablesMultip …

At height workers, whether they are working solo or as part of a team, must be supplied not only with proper fall protection, but also a plan for rescue. If you or a co-worker fall and aren't able to conveniently self-rescue, what is your plan? Typically workers wearing self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) are generally stopped quicker and closer to the spot they fell from than workers wearing traditional shock-absorbing lanyards. The second group, when they fall, often are stopped relat …

Scissor lifts are one of the most popular ways for workers to reach projects at heights. But do the guard rails on these lifts provide all the fall protection necessary for the workers utilizing them? The American National Safety Institute ( ANSI) deems guard rails around the work platform to be a sufficient fall prevention measure. But in practice they may not be. Fall protection needs to be evaluated in relation to the work being performed. If you have a scissor lift in operation at …

Fall protection is one of those things you can never be too careful with so I am constantly getting questions about it. Here is an example: I am going to be doing some work on a platform that is only 1.8 meters off of the ground. My self-retracting lifeline (SRL) will therefore be hung about 3.8 meters off the ground.  I know that I am going to need fall protection, but will that be enough clearance to arrest a fall? I don’t want to hit the ground. Is 1.8 meters enough distance for …