Blog

While OSHA still establishes the laws surrounding workplace fall protection and is tasked with enforcing them, many organizations look to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the most current safety procedures and best practices. The new(ish) Z359.1 standards from ANSI are an attempt to create a more holistic fall safety program. One of the biggest differences between these new specifications and the existing OSHA fall safety requirements are regular inspections of all fall sa …

Working at height can be challenging enough without having safety equipment that binds and weighs you down. Many of our customers climb regularly, and the feedback we are getting about the Miller AirCore Full-Body Harnesses is positive across the board. There are a range of requirements for harnesses meeting OSHA and ANSI fall safety standards. With the AirCore, Miller has managed to meet these standards using 16% less material overall. The results are greater mobility, reduced weigh …

Employers have complained since the organization's formation that OSHA requirements are just too much. They slow down workers, and cost too much. ANSI Z359 requirements add a whole new level of safety requirements for workers and employers, but is it worth it? The answer is most likely yes. In this case, when we talk about the equipment and inspection schedule being worth it, we're talking about how the purchasing decisions will be described in legal arguments likely to be made in court after a …

We all know the best type of safety gear is the kind workers want to wear. There are piles of brightly colored vests and harnesses and hard plastic safety glasses in shops across America that don't fit comfortably and doesn't get used. They pinch, or they bind, or just look ridiculous. Certainly that has been the case with safety eyewear over the years. Some of the old safety eye protection are both ugly and uncomfortable. Which makes the new line of Carhartt safety eyewear made by Pyramex …

There are still plenty of dirty jobs across America. Particles are flying and working men and women are exposed to them every day. Luckily eye protection for these folks is keeping pace with the times. A new category of eyewear has emerged that finds fans in heavy manufacturing and oil & gas production. Suppliers call it "sealed eyewear" and it's bridging the gap between safety glasses and standard goggles. Traditionally it has been a challenge to find the correct eye protection on a fi …

Chris Coyle from Capital Safety recently spent some time with us talking about what is involved in the inspection of self-retracting devices (SRDs) under the new ANSI Z359.14 standards. According to these new standards a competent person, as defined by OSHA regulations, will be required to inspect SRLs yearly, bi-annually, or quarterly depending upon the frequency and duration of use. If you have questions about inspecting any of your fall protection devices or more specifica …

Self-retracting lifelines have created a new level of fall protection for at height workers since they were first introduced. Fast-activating braking systems have lowered both fall distances and fall forces. As the use of SRLs (more broadly referred to as self-retracting devices or SRDs) has increased across a wide range of industries, the American National Standards Institute ( ANSI) has taken a close look at the use and maintenance of these life saving devices. Their findings have resulte …

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) doesn't make the laws, but it does influence the standards adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which is tasked with enforcing safety and health legislation. ANSI fall safety standards such as the ANSI Z359 Fall Protection Code are developed by a consensus of experts in government, private industry, and related organizations. But they're not the law, so why do so many people follow their directives? ANSI Z35 …

Some jobs sites just don't have any convenient anchorage points. That's why the Miller BackBiter Tie-Back Lanyard is a great piece of equipment. This 6 ft. lanyard with a SofStop Shock-absorber allows you to wrap the lanyard around a structural element and hook it back to itself for reliable and safe fall protection. It's the anchor hook that makes it possible. If you are using this product you probably already know you can't use a regular lanyard in this fashion. The BackBiter lanya …

Apparently the 11th time is the charm if you're a Bakersfield machine-tool rep with a vision to create a cowboy hard hat. That's how many times it took inventor Bret Atkins to develop a design that would meet ANSI standards and win the all-important approval of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Tired of getting grease or dirt on his snow white Stetson each time he entered a hard hat-required site for work, Atkins began working in his garage on a fiberglass hard hat m …