The Hierarchy of Fall Protection

Working at Height Good Practice Advocacy

Ask that the GPG recognise the confusion around the different terms used for harness-based fall protection and provide consistent, applicable guidance so that the mechanism that underlies the protection is not lost in the terminology.

Make the distinction between the System and the Technique even though they share names.

The system is represented by intent and constraints, and the technique is the application that changes depending on configuration at the time.

Fall Arrest as a system is defined as having a fall potential of up to 2 m and using an attenuating lanyard.

However, that system with the same fall potential and equipment can be made safer by shortening the lanyard and/or using an elevated anchor system so that the realistically available fall potential is reduced to less than 600mm, which makes the technique Limited Free Fall arrest despite operating within a system that would otherwise be designated fall arrest.

If you used the same lanyard adjusted to prevent access to the fall potential, congratulations, you have applied Fall Restraint technique, which is safer still.

BUT as workers move around and the context and availability of anchoring systems change, so do the techniques, while the fall-arrest system does not.

A planned Fall Restraint system might escalate into fall arrest with improper lanyard management or poor anchoring-system positioning.

The systems in order of priority based on Fall Potential

1. Fall Restraint - Restricting movement so that you cannot egress past an edge. NO FALL POTENTIAL can be reached.
2. Work Positioning - When you are relying on your equipment for support - Zero Fall POTENTIAL as long as equipment never fails.
3. Limited Free Fall Arrest - Small fall that can resolve without attenuation (Max fall force is 6kn, which is reached after 600 mm). Fall Potential 0- 600 mm
4. Free Fall Arrest - A fall greater than 0.6m but less than 2 m. Potential forces of 20kN and requires attenuation

No harness system protects against free falls greater than 2m.

Some Safety Netting and Soft Landing Systems can protect up to 6m of free fall.

Workers apply techniques with the same names to make the system work in practice, and they may improve or degrade the intended work system.

For example, for a rope access technician to get into a work positioning, they may need to deploy fall arrest or restraint techniques, even though the planned system of work is Work Positioning.

Other names are just derivatives.

• Restrained Fall - is just Limited Free Fall Arrest. Often used to describe the Limited Free Fall from a pole strap.
• Work Restraint - is when your restraint system becomes loaded, so it becomes work positioning. The system is Fall Restraint, but the application changes it.
• Travel Restraint - is the application of Fall Restraint with a continuous connection anchoring system.
• Suspension - is just full work positioning without the support of a structure, often paired with a Limited Free Fall Arrest backup system.
• Total Restraint - is a myth and assumes it is impossible to fall. It is simply Fall Restraint. The only time it is impossible to fall is when there is no physical fall hazard, in which case the protection is as unnecessary as this definition.

Prohibited Harness Systems are:

• The Roll the Dice system - commonly paired with hope that it works (fall potential 2-4m)
• The No-Anchor System - An unconnected harness commonly paired with the Daggin’ lanyard technique and Floor Arrest.
• No Harness Needed System - A belief that you are exempt from gravity, commonly paired with Floor Arrest.
• No Clearance Systems - A physical demonstration that you are bad at arithmetic, commonly paired with Ankle Arrest
• We Have Harness-At-Home Systems - A misunderstanding of performance requirements using inappropriate products, commonly paired with Floor Arrest and a confident JSA.
• The Harness Swingers System - A Fall Restraint system pendulum demonstration that you are bad at geometry, commonly paired with Wall Arrest and Suspension head injuries.

If you would like to see these changes, let me be your voice and sign the petition to show support so I can advocate on your behalf.