Top Ten Fall Protection Misuses

Fall protection in construction is critical to protecting workers from serious injury or death. One form of fall protection is the personal fall arrest system (PFAS). The use of PFASs is so prevalent with our construction policyholders, it's easy to overlook the most common misuses of the equipment.

All ten of the misuses can lead to critical failure if a fall occurs. To the trained safety professional, they are easily identified and corrected, but to the untrained worker, they can lead to serious injury or death.

Here are the ten most common misuses of fall protection equipment:

1. Snap hook gate is improperly loaded
   • Side loading of the snap hook or snap gate can cause failure of the snap hook
     • Properly place the snap hook so the load will be placed in the "hook" area of the device
2. Inappropriate/Inadequate anchorage capacity
   • Anchorage capacity does not meet the 5,000 pounds per person capacity requirements
     • Ensure the anchorage devices are engineered, designed and/or evaluated by a qualified person
3. Lanyards wrapped back on themselves
   • Using lanyards to tie back on themselves
     • Most lanyards are not designed to be used as tiebacks. A beam strap, beam clamp or lanyard with tie-back ring should be used as the anchorage point
4. Anchorage below dorsal D-ring
   • Anchorage is below the D-ring, allowing for an extended fall, increased stopping forces and a larger post-fall swing radius
     • Anchorage points should be at or above the D-ring, unless equipment is specifically designed for lower anchorage points
5. Twin leg energy absorbing and self-retracting device use
   • The two can look similar, users must know the proper use of each device
     • On twin leg energy-absorbing devices, don't attach anchors to both legs at the same time
6. Use of damaged and/or recalled devices
   • Disregarding recall notices allowing for use of unsafe equipment
   • Failure to inspect equipment prior to use
     • Basic inspections should include:
       • Hardware– check snap hooks, carabiners, adjusters, keeps, D-rings
       • Webbing– look for cuts, abrasions, burns, tears, markings, discolorations, excessive dirt
       • Stitching- see if it's pulled, cut
       • Labels- are they present and legible?
       • Mechanical components- check locking mechanisms, connectors, gates
       • Ropes- look for broken threads or eye connections, crushing, stretching
7. Improper equipment fitting
   • Harnesses that are the incorrect size, are improperly fit, backwards, have slack leg straps, have an improperly placed dorsal ring, etc.
     • Proper fitting of harness- "Snug fit is a safe fit"
       • Chest straps situated in the middle of the chest
       • Back straps situated in the middle of the back and between shoulder blades
       • Leg straps- on inner thigh with snug fit (open hand between straps and leg, not a fist)
       • D-Ring- sits in the middle of the back between shoulder blades
8. Improper horizontal lifelines
   • Horizontal lifelines that aren't designed by a qualified person or have improper intermediate anchorage
     • Hand rails, wire rope barriers, 2 x 4 barriers, improperly constructed wire rope lines, etc. used as anchorage points
9. Self-retracting devices over leading edges
   • Creates a condition where the attenuator is isolated above the leading edge and failing to absorb shock, causing the lanyard to snap below the leading edge
     • The self-retracting device must be rated for edge work or free fall
10. Eyebolts as anchor devices
    • Eyebolts that are improperly used, causing neck loading on eyebolts

The presence of these frequent misuses on a jobsite can indicate management's failure to properly educate, train, enforce and document correct fall protection procedures.