Personal fall protection system
Contents |
[edit] Definition
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (which were updated as the Work at Height Regulations 2007 in that year) define a ‘personal fall protection system’ as:
- (a) a fall prevention, work restraint, work positioning, fall arrest or rescue system, other than a system in which the only safeguards are collective safeguards; or
- (b) rope access and positioning techniques.
[edit] Fall systems
In general personal fall protection systems are considered as the next option if a collective fall protection systems are not possible. The reasons for not being able to install collective systems may be as a result of planning constraints, rights of light, viewing corridors or local restrictions etc. Specifying a system that meets both the EN 795:2012 standard (updated from the 1997 standard) for single user anchor devices and the CEN/TS 16415:2013
Both collective fall systems and personal fall systems generally sit in one of two categories, restraint systems and arrest systems as described here;
[edit] Collective fall protective systems
- Collective fall restraint systems, such as guardrails, working platforms, scaffold systems.
- Collective fall arrest systems, such as net systems, airbags, fall breaks.
[edit] Personal fall protective systems
- Personal fall restraint systems, such as anchor points with harnesses at fixed lengths and lanyards preventing hazards from being reached. Usually defined as perimeter systems and ridge systems.
- Personal fall arrest systems are usually the same but with harness that extend beyng the hazard but arrest a fall if it occurs.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- BS 7883.
- BS 7883 guide released.
- Collective restraint systems.
- Dynamic self-retracting lanyard.
- Fall arrest system.
- Fall prevention systems.
- FASET.
- Hoists.
- Injuries on construction sites.
- Safety in high places.
- Site safety.
- Work at height checklist for managers.
- Work at height regulations.
- Work at height.
- Working at height - our duty to prevent harm and protect each other.
- Work at Height Regulations.
- Working at height training.
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