Fall protection equipment is needed for a variety of jobs. Therefore, the types of gear needed to be involved in a fall protection system also vary. As mntioned by Jason Wible Frenchcreek, while some options are used for preventing injury after a fall, others are designed to support workers who require hands-free suspension to complete their job. FrenchCreek Fall Safety is a manufacturer of fall protection equipment. They offer engineered safety systems in addition to standard fall safety products.
Jason Wible Frenchcreek Shares Insight Into The Diverse Gears Included In A Fall Protection System
When selecting fall protection equipment for a certain job, it is important that people know its exact use and how it can help them. A fall arrest system is among the most important fall protection gear, and helps in protecting users in the event of a fall. Such gear is meant to halt the descent of the person, and distribute the force of the fall to minimize injury. It is also useful in positioning the user in a manner that prevents further injury while waiting for rescue. The ultimate holding position of the wearer would make rescue as simple as possible.
The potential consequences of not using a proper fall arrest system when working at a great height are severe. However, unless the user does fall, this equipment is just meant to be worn and not used actively. Even though many might question its necessity due to this, anyone working at a height over six feet definitely needs an adequate fall arrest system.
Anchorage is quite important to fall arrest systems. It simply implies to a secure place of attachment for lifelines, lanyards, and deceleration devices. This point of attachment can be diverse types of structures like beams, columns or floors, which can support the force of a fall from the structure in an effective manner. The rest of the fall arrest system actually relies on the anchorage point. Therefore, it becomes immensely important to select the right structure. Apart from the anchorage point, the fall protection equipment would also include an anchorage connector that connects the rest of the system to the anchoring structure. Based on the type of anchorage point, people might use a beam anchor, hook, D-bolt or a similar secure device as an attachment.
Next key component of a fall protection system is body wear. This part of the far arrest gear is worn by the person using it. Traditionally, body belts were used as a body support components. However, they couldn’t provide adequate protection and support, and often caused injuries while arresting a fall. As per Jason Wible Frenchcreek, therefore today, usually, a full body harness is used for a fall protection system. Such harnesses feature straps that cross over the shoulders, around the legs and waist, as well as the pelvis of the wearer. This design helps in distributing the force of a fall across the body, thereby reducing its impact and chances of injury.
The ultimate piece of equipment of a fall protection system is the connector that connects the full-body harness to the anchorage. Most systems use an energy-absorbing connector that reduces the forces applied to the body when arresting the fall.
