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Workers and employers are becoming more aware of the problems associated with suspension trauma (also called orthostatic intolerance) which can affect a fall victim who is held aloft by their full-body harness. What people have been asking with some regularity lately is if the suspension trauma straps from one company will work with a harness from another. The answer, as far as we can tell with the products we have tried and the manufacturers we've talked to, is yes. Last week a cust …

Once you are in the safety business, you start to notice things other folks wouldn't. Our offices are located in a fairly industrial part of town near a boat repair facility. Along with the workers who are using personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly, I constantly see people misusing their safety equipment. For instance, there's a guy who uses a Genie lift near us all the time. He is always wearing a harness, but it's so loose he would come right out if he ever fell. But that …

Boom trucks, scissor lifts, and other Genie Lift work vehicles are everywhere these days. A question we receive regularly is how workers should hook up their fall safety equipment to the work platforms. Workers operating between 6 and 18 ft. above the closest obstacle, even if they are just passing through those heights, need to be wearing either complete fall restraint or a self-retracting lifeline (SRL). Because the close tether of a fall restraint system limits the work that can be a …

Trying to decide between a shock absorbing lanyard or spending the extra cash on a Nano-Lok? Watch this video as Justin compares the pros and cons of the two technologies. Hi I’m Justin and welcome to PK Safety. Today we’re gonna talk about the difference between the traditional shock absorbing lanyards and the new self-retracting Nano-Lok lifelines from DBI-SALA and Capital Safety. Let’s see how these two fall protection options stack up side by side. For our test, we’ll compare price, fall …

The Rebel 33 ft. self-retracting lifeline is a great choice for fall protection in a wide range of industries. This durable, affordable SRL comes with a number of functions and accessories that generally cost extra. First it comes with a heavy-duty carabiner that is self-closing and self-locking. This attaches to the swiveling anchor loop at the top of the housing. On the lifeline, the Rebel 33 ft. SRL has a snap hook that also swivels. In tandem, these swivels work to reduce twists …

A customer recently wrote to ask us the following question: If my 6 ft. self-retracting lifeline (SRL) is pulled all the way to the end, is there any excess line/cable left on the reel if I take a fall? The answer is yes, there will be an extra turn or two left to insure that the force of a fall won’t tear the webbing or cable off the reel.  The length of an SRL is generally measured from bearing to bearing. In other words from the anchor point to the snap hook at the end of …

Every once in a while there is an innovation in fall protection that changes the face of worker safety. The Nano-Lok self-retracting lifeline from Capital Safety is that kind of device. If you had a choice of falling 15 feet or 20 inches, which would you prefer? We’ll go with the 20 inches, thanks. Take a look at our video showing the features of this new piece of fall protection. We think you’ll agree, the Nano-Lok is best thing to happen to fall protection in a long time. We al …

A self-retracting lifeline can be called many different things – a yo-yo, a personal fall limiter, a seat belt, a block, or an SRL. Whatever you call it, (we like SRL) they all have similar mechanics that are part of a safety system for stopping a worker from experiencing a long fall. In this post, we will tell you how an SRL works and a little about the components that make up this life-saving device. These pictures of a demonstration SRL with a clear case show you the inner-working …

There is one area of the fall-arrest procedure that is lacking in many companies. It’s not the part where a worker is saved from a deadly fall; there are many products now that protect workers at heights. It is the part after the fall: The time when you would hope to witness a well-organized rescue plan while a worker hangs suspended, held aloft by a thin nylon strap or steel wire. Even companies who believe they have excellent safety standards often lack cohesive planning for recovery once a …

Fall protection is one of those things you can never be too careful with so I am constantly getting questions about it. Here is an example: I am going to be doing some work on a platform that is only 1.8 meters off of the ground. My self-retracting lifeline (SRL) will therefore be hung about 3.8 meters off the ground.  I know that I am going to need fall protection, but will that be enough clearance to arrest a fall? I don’t want to hit the ground. Is 1.8 meters enough distance for …