# Fall protection.



## Ozzy1990 (Jan 24, 2013)

foreman wants me to get on a ledge thats 10ft from the floor. He hands me harness with a 6 leash and 10ft expansion pack attached to it. I explained to him that it wont work. He said ok and brings me a 15ft retractable fall arrester with a 10ft expansion pack..... I explained how its not going to work, he said ok and brought me a 10ft retractable fall arrester with a 10ft expansion pack.........:whistling2:


----------



## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

Sounds like the forming company at work. 9ft drop but 20ft of lanyard/expansion/rope-grab. Don't think these guys realize that they'll hit the ground anyways.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)




----------



## Big John (May 23, 2010)

For as common as fall protection is, I would wager that about 50% of the time I see someone in a harness, there's something wrong with their setup.

Hell, even I just recently learned that retractables can be severely derated if you're not using them directly overhead. Well, how many people actually do that?


----------



## Tsmil (Jul 17, 2011)

Long lanyard is just to prevent you from wondering off after you cracked your scull.


----------



## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

solution: ban all fall protection equipment















yes I'm being sarcastic. I hate working for companies that want to cut corners with my own personal safety because they are just lazy.

Just the other week I saw a bunch of hacks installing PV panels on a neighbors house. Harnesses and hardhats, but the harnesses weren't tied of to ANYTHING, just had to shake my head and say, damn.


----------



## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Actually for a 6' lanyard, you need the tie off point to be ~18' above the lower level. Many job sites are starting to require the retractable "yo-yo" type of fall arrest around here now.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> Actually for a 6' lanyard, you need the tie off point to be ~18' above the lower level. Many job sites are starting to require the retractable "yo-yo" type of fall arrest around here now.


We don't even use lanyards anymore. We have some small yo-yo's that weigh about 3lbs. They attach directly to the harnass. We also have some a little bigger with a double tether that are rated for tying back to themselves. When possible, we try to use lifts. Our shop has about 100 19' scissor lifts and 30-40 12' lifts.


----------



## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

Acadian9 said:


> Sounds like the forming company at work. 9ft drop but 20ft of lanyard/expansion/rope-grab. Don't think these guys realize that they'll hit the ground anyways.


I saw a top electrician fired for sitting on top of a 6 ft ladder in an office, wearing a hard hat, eye protection & safety shoes.

He had a full harness w/ 100% tie-off and shock absorber on a 6 ft lanyard, but forgot to attach.

Can't figure where he could attach to that would work, but when the "Safety" guys spotted him, he was off-site within the hour.


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> I saw a top electrician fired for sitting on top of a 6 ft ladder in an office, wearing a hard hat, eye protection & safety shoes.
> 
> He had a full harness w/ 100% tie-off and shock absorber on a 6 ft lanyard, but forgot to attach.
> 
> Can't figure where he could attach to that would work, but when the "Safety" guys spotted him, he was off-site within the hour.


Nobody thought of that when they made the 4' tie off rule


----------



## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> I saw a top electrician* fired for sitting on top of a 6 ft ladder* in an office, wearing a hard hat, eye protection & safety shoes.
> 
> He had a full harness w/ 100% tie-off and shock absorber on a 6 ft lanyard, but forgot to attach.
> 
> Can't figure where he could attach to that would work, but when the "Safety" guys spotted him, he was off-site within the hour.


Every single A-frame ladder I have seen (with the exception of this rickety old wooden ladder my family had when I was little) had a big warning sticker that says no standing or sitting on the top 'step'. He may have been terminated for ignoring the safety warning sticker on the ladder.

How are the harness, lanyard, hard hat, glasses, or shoes relevant?


----------



## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

Had a bucket truck class the other day and the instructor from baker aerial wore a kidney belt... I was like wtf? I didnt think they were legal since the 80's


----------



## WhitehouseRT (Aug 20, 2013)

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> I saw a top electrician fired for sitting on top of a 6 ft ladder in an office, wearing a hard hat, eye protection & safety shoes.
> 
> He had a full harness w/ 100% tie-off and shock absorber on a 6 ft lanyard, but forgot to attach.
> 
> Can't figure where he could attach to that would work, but when the "Safety" guys spotted him, he was off-site within the hour.


I always tell them that I have no problem utilizing a "100% tie-off" rule.... and demand I be provided with the suitable anchor point rated for minimum 5000-lbs as per OSHA requirements....

That usually leaves them speech-less and tell me, well just go ahead as long as you're quick about it....


----------



## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

sparky970 said:


> Nobody thought of that when they made the 4' tie off rule


...they did*.
This man just happened to elect to ignore the rules.


* Who ever this "they" might be.

I am unaware of an OSHA standard that requires an individual to tie-off while using a ladder after reaching an elevation of 4'.

I did find this pdf to be rather informative [middle of page 11 in particular]:
*Fall Protection: Misconceptions & Myths;*


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Celtic said:


> ...they did*.
> This man just happened to elect to ignore the rules.
> 
> 
> ...


Wash state, took effect earlier this year. Your link is from 2007


----------



## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

sparky970 said:


> Wash state, took effect earlier this year.



Got a link?


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Celtic said:


> Got a link?


I'll have to look through my safety committee emails. I,ll post it tomorrow


----------



## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

sparky970 said:


> I'll have to look through my safety committee emails. I,ll post it tomorrow


My mistake, it is under Washington Administrative Code. WAC 296-155-24609

http://www.lni.wa.gov/WISHA/Rules/construction/PDFs/155c1f.pdf


----------



## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)




----------



## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

uconduit said:


> Every single A-frame ladder I have seen (with the exception of this rickety old wooden ladder my family had when I was little) had a big warning sticker that says no standing or sitting on the top 'step'. He may have been terminated for ignoring the safety warning sticker on the ladder.
> 
> How are the harness, lanyard, hard hat, glasses, or shoes relevant?


Just wanted to show this guy wasn't a total safety risk.

BTW, where would you tie off in an office. And, who has never sat on the top of a 6 ft ladder?


----------

