In order to guarantee the worker safety while working at heigh there are 2 different systems:
- Collective, e.g. guardrails: it’s characterized by an ever-active protection, allowing multiple workers to operate at the same time. The access to the roof is available to even untrained personnel.
- Personal, e.g. lifeline and rail systems: it can only be used by experienced, competent and trained operators, and only triggers in the event of a fall. It requires the use of Category III PPE (life-saving): body harness, connector, lanyard, energy absorber, retractable devices, flexible rails or lifelines, rigid rails or lifelines, anchor devices.
The choice on which kind of system should be adopted is the employer’s responsibility, who chooses the most suitable system based on the protective function needs to be fulfilled. For example, it would be worthless to install a guardrail to protect oneself from the risk of the floor breaking through. It’s preferable to choose a collective fall protection system wherever there is a fall from the edge’s hazard.
3 recurring queries about lifeline and PPE
1) What’s an anchor point?
An anchor point is the point on an anchorage system where the personal fall protection device is supposed to be fastened (ref. UNI EN 795:2012, section 3.6). In other words, we can define the anchor point as the physical part where the connector (PPE) attaches.
2) What’s the difference between a life line and the anchor devices (Type A)
The anchor points allow movement only in the circular area with radius equal to the lanyard length, while lifelines allow linear movement along their entire length.
3) What’a PPE?
A personal protection equipment (PPE) is a product whose function is to safeguard the person wearing it from health and safety hazard. In particular, an I.P. PPE against falls from height must secure the person to an anchor point in such a way as to prevent or arrest a fall from height in complete safety.
Work at height methods while using PPE
- Restraint
A technique which prevents the operator from reaching an area with a fall from height risk, through a reduction of length between the anchor point and the harness. Avoiding any kind of fall.
- Positioning
A technique where the operator works while devises are in tensioning, without any risk of fall.
This method includes a positioning harness and an adjustable lanyard; on pitched roofs it allows for hands-free working in tension. It’s necessary to evaluate the possibility to foreseen another fall protection connection, wherever the risk of falling is still persisting.
- Fall arrest
A technique for arresting a fall from height and reducing the force developed during the fall (< 6 kN). The system must include a lifeline or an anchor point, combined with a full body harness and a connector with energy absorber function. A rope can be used connected to a fall protection device: by this way, the operator is able to move freely and the device intervenes in case of fall.
In case of a fall, the issues of inert suspension and rescue must be taken into account, foreseen all the ways upstream.
- Rescue
Personal protection system, allowing to evacuate to evacuate oneself or others from the work area.The rescue system must ensure the protection of both the injured person and the rescuer and must allow evacuation to a safe place via a descent and/or ascent.
In case of a fall, the operator should be rescued as soon as possible in order to minimize the effects of inert suspension. It is preferable to choose downward descent rather than upward recovery (because less complex).
The following requirements are necessary:
- Availability of immediately usable rescue kits at the workplace;
- Adequate training for the work team so that each worker can rescue fellow employees.