Working at any height holds inherent risks, but working at a low height has a unique risk which can be resolved with new fall protection technologies. .
Workers at a low height typically use equipment like a full-body harness and a lanyard, which are usually around two metres in length. This equipment could add risk, since lanyards can require a safe distance of at least six to seven metres of fall clearance from the working platform to the ground or nearest obstruction below.
“If you are working at low heights, around three to four metres, for example, you may not have enough of a safe distance for a fall to be arrested by a regular energy-absorbing lanyard,” says Adil Afzal, marketing manager at MSA Safety. “Without that distance, the worker will hit the ground before their fall can be stopped. It makes the whole point of the lanyard moot.”
But self-retracting lanyards can help mitigate this risk—acting much like a seatbelt, if it senses quick acceleration, it locks up to prevent a fall. With a regular lanyard, a worker would have to fall the entire length of the lanyard before eventually coming to a stop.
To learn more about this technology, about other major work-at-height risks and how to mitigate them, join us for our webinar: “Fall Protection Solutions for Frequently Encountered Work at Height Challenges”, with speakers from industry experts at MSA Safety.
