Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) have been mandated as an integral component in the safety program of a workplace. Compared to traditional fall protection tools that are proven not practical and effective, PFAS is meant to stop a person from falling or hitting a lower floor, or any other object in the event of a fall. According to Jason Wible Frenchcreek, employers should ensure that before using the fall arrest systems, they should be examined by an efficient safety official. The professional should be competent enough to identify, evaluate and address prevailing and potential fall hazards apart from undertaking corrective measures immediately to lessen identified hazards. In his version, he explains three vital components of PFAS.
Full body harness
Aka safety harness, a full-body harness is basically a wearable element of a fall body arrest system. This component is connecting a worker to an anchorage point while preventing the individual from falling on a lower level or any object subsequent to a fall.
Unlike safety belts used earlier, a body harness has the potential to allocate the forces of a falling person all through the body parts evenly while ensuring the worker is remain suspended and erect after the fall. This makes it more effective than a safety belt as they typically put all forces of a falling body onto a particular segment of the body causing the worker vulnerable to slip out of the device. This is why full-body harness has got the approval of OSHA and has been made mandatory to be used in construction sites.
The connecting device
The connecting device is the second element of a fall arrest system (PFAS). Designed to fasten to PFAS and anchorage sockets, the connecting tool is meant to evaluate the length of an employee’s potential fall. The connecting device consists of two components including 1) a lanyard and 2) a self-retracting lifeline.
Each of them is used for diverse situations. When a fall occurs, if the wearer has a chance to get in contact with any object, the self-retracting lifeline works to restrict the falling distance. Equally, the lanyard is an energy-absorbent tool that lessens the impact of the total force exerted on a falling body and the anchor point. As stated by Jason Wible Frenchcreek, a lanyard should be a flexible and short wire rope, or strap having connectors at either end. Lanyards remain affixed to the harness at one side and to the shock absorber, anchorage point at the other side. Both these components should be worn and attached to the wearer’s body.
Anchorage point
The final or 3d element of any personal fall arrest system (PFAS) is called an anchorage point. An anchorage point is an extremely vital tool that is meant to grab a person during as well as following a fall occurs. Typically, this element remains attached permanently to any solid and immobile structure located in the setting where the work is done. In most cases, this structure is chosen sensibly considering its stability like a steel pipe for anchoring purposes. The points must be examined and evaluated by the safety officer to determine their load-carrying capacity.
