Más contenido relacionado La actualidad más candente (20) Similar a Safety harness - fall protection - Wessam Atif (20) Safety harness - fall protection - Wessam Atif1. About the use of fall arrest system &
safety harness while working at heights
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 1
2. Learning outcome
By the end of the presentation U should be able to:
• Identify the needs to use the fall arrest system &
safety harness & the safe distance to start using it
• Identify different parts of the harness, lanyard &
anchorage points
• Inspect the fall arrest system prior to each use &
report any defects
• Properly put on (don) the safety harness & safely
adjust it to your body
• Identify proper anchorage points
• Develop an emergency response & rescue plan in
case a worker falls while using their fall arrest
system
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 2
3. The need to use safety harness while working
at heights
• Falling from a height is considered one of the most
common causes of injuries & fatalities at work, many
injuries occurred even when falling from height of
less than one meter
• In some tasks (like constructing a scaffold) we can
not really prevent falls physically, but we can arrest
the fall & minimize the free fall distance
• We should know that using a fall arrest system is the
last line of defense after we consider all of the
following as priorities:
1. Collective fall prevention systems e.g. guard rails,
safety nets & air bags/pillows, etc.
2. Personal fall prevention e.g. restriction system; a
lanyard with no shock absorber connected to an
anchorage point restricting the distance a worker can
go, hence preventing him from reaching the edge
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 3
4. When do we start using safety harness ?
• Any high working platform from which a
person can fall & sustain injury due to to
absence of collective fall prevention (what is
this?)
• If working at any height of 180 cm or more,
a safety harness with a restricting lanyard (no
shock absorber) must be used to prevent the
worker from reaching the edge (as shown in
the figure)
• We may start using the fall arrest system (to
minimize the free fall distance) made up of a
safety harness and a lanyard with a shock
absorber only at 6 meters height or more (or
at the appropriate calculated safe distance)
• Usually we only allow scaffolders to use the
fall arrest system and lanyards with shock
absorber, simply because they have no other
collective fall prevention
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 4
5. Different parts of safety harness & lanyards
D - ring
Chest straps Shock absorber
Self-locking snap hook
Single lanyard
Back straps
Twin lanyard
Leg straps Lanyards with shock
absorbers (un-deployed)
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 5
6. How to put on (don) a safety harness
1. Un-strap & un-tie all parts of 2. Start passing your arm through
the harness & Hold it from the harness strap same as what
the D-ring, as shown U do if you’re wearing a jacket
Before using a safety harness, make sure U inspect it thoroughly & not to use it in
case of any abrasion or defect & report it to the supervisor immediately
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 6
7. How to put on (don) a safety harness – contd.
3. Now pass your other arm through 4. Now fasten the leg straps,
the other strap, same like what U as shown in the image
do when wearing a jacket
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 7
8. How to put on (don) a safety harness – contd.
6. One important step is the adjust leg straps
5. Fasten the chest strap,
tight enough to only pass 2 fingers, as
as shown in the image
shown in image, this is to avoid sustaining
serious injuries to the pelvis in case of a fall
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 8
9. Proper anchorage points
• Anchorage points must be selected based on scientific approaches, be tested & we
make sure it can take at least 2500 Kg without failing in case of a fall
• Best Anchorage point should be located above the head level
• If it’s not possible, we try to anchor at waist level
• Worst case scenario, we anchor at feet level or below body level
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 9
10. Proper anchorage points – contd.
• Based on the fall distance calculation:
worker’s body length + lanyard length + length of
the deployed shock absorber, it’s best to anchor
above the head level
• Lanyards with shock absorber should only
be used when working at a height of 8
meters or more, or based on the fall distance
calculation done for each job
- Safety harness & lanyards are NOT to be
used unless workers receive proper
documented training authorized by
management -
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 10
11. Rescue plan & first aid in case of a fall while
using the safety harness
• Never work alone, always have a buddy
with U in case U need help
• If a worker falls while wearing a safety
harness with shock absorbing lanyard, & is
unconscious, he MUST be rescued within
an average of 18 minutes
• If not rescued within such a short time, he
might sustain fatal health effects due to the
suspension trauma
• Make sure the unconscious suspended
victim has no other injuries in the head or
back due to the pendulum effect
• If the victim is conscious & alert ask him to
keep moving his legs and body as if they
were biking, this prevents blood building up
& becoming stagnant in lower limbs
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 11
12. Rescue plan & first aid in case of a fall while
using the safety harness
• Victim should be lowered down with gravity,
usually by the help of cranes, & in coordination
with rescue team & crane operators, or
according to the site specific rescue plan
• Victim must be kept in semi – sitting
position (not flat) with knees bent for at least
30 to 45 minutes
• Check the regular airway, pulse, breathing, &
bleeding or any other possible injuries especially
head & back
• Medics to provide Oxygen & the victim to be
transferred to hospital for a thorough medical
check anyway & better kept in semi sitting
position till he reaches the hospital
DR.WESSAM ATIF © 2010 12