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foreseeable changes to these conditions. Care must be taken to ensure that the
equipment that is selected is suitable for use where any of these conditions may exist.
The workplace assessment must identify all paths of movement and the fall hazards
along these paths. Care must be taken to ensure that there are proper anchorages at
appropriate intervals along these paths to protect the users from these hazards without
exposure to swing-fall conditions. The PFAS selected must limit the fall distance in order
to avoid contact with the next lower level in the event of a fall.
Anchorage connectors should be selected on the basis of their suitability for attachment
to the anchor point to ensure a compatible and secure connection.
The exposure of the anchorage connector to sharp edges, abrasive surfaces and other
physical/structural hazards should be considered when evaluating compatibility.
The competent person shall calculate the weight of all authorized persons when fully
equipped to ensure that they are within the maximum capacity of the PFAS.
A full body harness meeting the requirements of Z359 shall be selected, and it shall be
sized to fit the user as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Connectors that are selected shall be suitably sized and shaped so as to be compatible
with the devices to which they will be attached.
The competent person shall select the method of protecting the equipment from damage
by workplace conditions, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
The competent person shall check the equipment instructions and markings to ensure
compliance with the appropriate standards and will ensure that manufacturer’s
instructions; markings and warnings are read and followed.
If the PFAS that is selected is made up of components from different manufacturers, the
competent person will ensure that these components are compatible.
FallTech strongly encourages that the following points also be considered in the course of
product selection, in addition to the points above:
Select the anchorage connector that is most appropriate for your application and for the
anchor point to which it will be attached. While sling-style anchors are popular because
of their versatility, they are not always the best choice where sharp or angular edges are
present on the structure to which they are attached.
Select a full body harness of appropriate durability for your workplace which contains all
of the attachment elements that you will require. Never attach any SRL to anything other
than the back/dorsal d-ring or the front/chest d-ring of your full body harness.
Depending on workplace conditions and hazards, you may need to employ multiple
systems or different combinations of components. Do not try and force the system to fit
the application. Use of the correct equipment is the best policy.
Section 5: Anchorage Considerations
OSHA 1910.66 and 1926.502 state that anchorages used for attachment of a PFAS must be
independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms, and must support at
least 5,000 lbs. per user attached, or be designed, installed and used as part of a complete PFAS
which maintains a safety factor of at least two, and is supervised by a qualified person (architect,
structural engineer, etc.).
The anchor-point to which this D-ring Extender is attached must capable of sustaining static
loads in directions applied by the personal fall arrest system of at least 3,600 lbs (or at least twice
the expected dynamic load) with certification of a qualified person (architect, structural engineer,
etc.), or 5,000 lbs in the absence of certification. If multiple personal fall arrest systems are being
