Finding the right position can be crucial for any type of job. How many of you decided to make that first statement dirty? Come on, guys! I'm trying to stay classy here. Anywho, fall protection positioning is no different, and there are a couple of guidelines from OSHA you should be aware of when it comes to positioning lanyards.
Positioning lanyards shall be rigged so that an employee cannot free fall more than 2 feet. If the free fall is going to be higher than 2 feet you need to use some sort of personal fall protection system in addition to your positioning system. It may seem stupid to have a full fall protection system when you're 3 ft. off the ground, but dems the laws.
The second little doozy from OSHA... your positioning device shall be secured to an anchorage point capable of supporting at least twice the impact load of an employee's fall or 3,000 pounds. whichever is greater. Now unless you are morbidly obese, the 3,000 lbs. ought to do it. However, there must be some reason for this weight regulation... I just don't know what it is. It must be fairly difficult to generate an impact load of 3,000 lbs. from a 2-foot free fall.
Finally, the connectors shall be drop forged, pressed or formed steel, or made of equivalent material. So... it needs to be strong. That should be covered by the manufacturer, and it is.
Hopefully, this wasn't news to you, but if you keep to these simple guidelines in mind the next time you use a positioning system with fall protection.
