EVACUATION
There are many standards related to fall arrest equipment, the main ones being:
- EN361 – full body fall arrest harnesses
- EN354 – fall arrest lanyards
- EN363 – fall arrest systems
- EN353 – guided fall arrester systems
- EN355 – energy absorbers
- EN795 – anchor points
Fall arrest equipment is ‘single use’, so after a fall every item in the load chain (harness, lanyard, wire system, eyebolt, etc) must be either repaired or replaced. The usual criterion for ‘a fall’ is the activation of your shock absorber. Even items that show no obvious damage (such as a harness) must be replaced.
PPE: WORK POSITIONING
Work positioning systems allow the user to be fully or partially suspended by their equipment. Even though they may be leaning over an edge, it is safer than using fall arrest alone as the system should prevent the worker from falling and shock-loading their PPE. Work positioning systems (lanyards, belts and harnesses) must comply with EN358 and be marked as such (or to an equivalent higher standard).
Work positioning systems cover all aspects of ‘loaded suspension’, from leaning gently on a Belt to abseiling down abuilding – but this Course specifically limitstraining to the use of work positioning for‘partial support’. This means that without additional training you can use the systems tolean on or help provide balance, but cannot use them to support your full bodyweight.
You cannot use a work positioning system without a second backup system.
This means that you must also use a system that will prevent or arrest a fall, should your primary work positioning system fail. This backup can be a second work positioning system or a fall arrest system, depending on the consequences of your primary system failure. In almost every case it must be a fall arrest system as work positioning systems cannot tolerate a shock-load. They are used to prevent a fall in the first place, and would fail (or cause critical injury) if used to arrest someone after they have started to fall, due to the high forces involved.
When working hands-free on a pole or mast, an EN358 padded belt and a polestrap are used. Great care must be taken to ensure a fall arrest system is used and will both protect the worker against a fall AND prevent the polestrap catching the energy of the fall first. As a result, the worker must also wear an approved fall arrest full-body harness.