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Fall Clearance/Clear Fall Charts
Clearance Requirements
These illustrations are an example of how to calculate fall clearance when using a self-retracting lanyard or a shock-absorbing lanyard.
Image 1 shows a self-retracting lanyard anchored overhead with the other end connected to the dorsal D-ring of a full body harness.
When positioning a self-retracting lanyard, include the following distances in your calculations:
Using the Self-Retracting Lanyard will require a total fall clearance of approximately 2.0 m as measured from the working level to the
nearest obstruction below. The total fall clearance combines the sum of the maximum allowable fall arrest distance of 1m and the
safety factor of 1 m.
Image 2 shows a shock-absorbing lanyard anchored overhead with the other end connected to the dorsal D-ring of a full body harness.
Note that the length of your shock-absorbing lanyard in relation to where it is attached is directly related to the amount of fall
clearance that you will need. When using a shock-absorbing lanyard, include the following distances in your calculations:
Using the Shock-Absorbing Lanyard will require a total fall clearance of approximately 6 m as measured from the anchorage point of
lanyard to the nearest obstruction below. The total fall clearance combines the sum of the length of the lanyard, the maximum
elongation of the lanyard, the average distance between the worker’s dorsal D-ring, and the safety factor .
