18
Free Fall:
The act of falling before a fall protection system begins to apply forces to arrest the fall.
Free Fall Distance:
The vertical distance traveled during a fall, measured from the onset of a fall from
a walking working surface to the point at which the fall protection system begins to arrest the fall.
Lanyard:
A component consisting of a flexible rope, wire rope or strap, which typically has a connector
at each end for connecting to the body support and to a fall arrester, energy absorber, anchorage
connector or anchorage.
Positioning:
The act of supporting the body with a positioning system for the purpose of working with
hands free.
Positioning Lanyard:
A lanyard used to transfer forces from a body support to an anchorage or
anchorage connector in a positioning system.
Qualified Person:
A person with a recognized degree or professional certificate and with extensive
knowledge, training and experience in the fall protection and rescue field who is capable of designing,
analyzing, evaluating and specifying fall protection and rescue systems.
Snaphook:
A connector comprised of a hook-shaped body with a normally closed gate or similar ar-
rangement that may be opened to permit the hook to receive an object and, when released, automati-
cally closes to retain the object.
Swing Fall:
A pendulum-like motion that occurs during and/or after a vertical fall. A swing fall results
when an authorized person begins a fall from a position that is located horizontally away from a fixed
anchorage.
