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3.0 INSTALLATION
3.1 OVERVIEW:
Installing this product requires effective planning and knowledge of fall clearance requirements. In the event
of a fall, there must be enough fall clearance present to safely arrest the user.
3.2 PLANNING:
Plan your Fall Protection system before starting your work. Account for all factors that may affect your safety
before, during, and after a fall. Consider all requirements and limitations specified in these instructions.
A. SHARP EDGES:
Avoid working where system components may be in contact with, or scrape against, unprotected
sharp edges and abrasive surfaces. All sharp edges and abrasive surfaces should be covered with protective material.
;
Only SRD-LEs may be used for applications with unprotected sharp edges or abrasive surfaces.
3.3
FALL CLEARANCE:
It is critical that the user is aware of fall clearance and its requirements before using this product.
A. DEFINITION:
Fall clearance is the measure of distance between a user and the next obstruction below them. Before
use of this product, the user should determine how much fall clearance is required to prevent them from striking an
obstruction should they fall.
A user’s
Required Fall Clearance (FC) is the sum of Free Fall (FF), Deceleration Distance (DD), Harness
Stretch (HS), and a Safety Factor (SF).
See Figure 5.1 for reference.
• Free Fall (FF)
is the distance the user travels before activation of the deceleration device.
• Deceleration Distance (DD)
is the distance the user falls measured from activation of the deceleration device
until stopping.
• Harness Stretch (HS)
is the amount of slack extending from the user’s harness when the user is suspended by
their harness attachment element.
• Safety Factor (SF)
is a set amount of distance added to fall clearance to ensure user safety.
There may be additional factors affecting Required Fall Clearance within your Fall Arrest system, such as D-ring
extension length and anchorage deflection. For coverage of these factors, and others not outlined above, refer to the
manufacturer instructions for each component of your Fall Arrest system. Additional factors, when provided, should be
added to the fall clearance values in this instruction.
B. MINIMIZING REQUIREMENTS:
The user should always position their Fall Arrest system to minimize fall potential
and potential fall distance. To keep fall clearance requirements to a minimum, it is recommended that the user work as
directly below their anchorage point as possible.
•
ANCHORAGE HEIGHT:
The Required Fall Clearance (FC) for a user increases as Anchorage Height (A) decreases.
The user experiences a greater amount of free fall when connected to an anchorage point below them, since the
user will have to travel that much farther should they fall. See Figure 5.2 for reference.
•
SWING FALLS:
The Required Fall Clearance (FC) for a user increases as User Work Radius (W) increases. Swing
falls occur when the anchorage point is not directly above the user when a fall occurs. See Figure 5.3 for reference.
The force of striking an object during a swing fall could cause serious injury or death. Do not permit a swing fall if
injury could occur.
Figure 5 - Fall Clearance Requirements
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2
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FC = FF + DD + HS + SF
DD
DD
FF
HS
HS
SF
FF
FC
FC
A
A
FC
FC
W
