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Fall protection needs an anchorage that is capable of holding in the event of a fall. Makes sense. But how do you know if a certain point is beefy enough to hold a full-grown man and his tools doing a 6-12 ft. free fall? Unless you've had a certified anchorage installed, chances are you won't know for certain. So try to err on the side of caution. The old adage about anchorage points is that they need to support 5,000 lbs. We usually tell folks that if they can imagine dangling a Ford F …

Your  harness is a pillar of your fall protection equipment. Picking the right one depends on the type of work you do, how often you do it, and what your budget can afford. Here are our picks for the best harnesses for tower climbers looking at cost, comfort, adjustment, and weight. The king of the tower climbing harnesses is still the DBI-SALA ExoFit NEX for Tower Climbing. This very comfortable tower harness has a spring-loaded dorsal D-ring and a range of other smart adjust …

If you're working in site maintenance, oil and gas production, or other large facilities, you likely have loads of fall protection equipment that requires periodic inspection by a competent person. OSHA sets requirements for regular inspection, and defines the type of person who can sign off on these reviews. A Competent Person in the eyes of all-mighty OSHA is simply someone who can identify the hazards of their workplace environment and who has the authorization to take immediate measure …

Fall protection equipment needs to be regularly inspected by a Competent Person according the specifications set forth in the ANSI Z359 protection codes if you want your Z359-rated equipment to be considered usable. Inspection is critical for all fall protection safety equipment, whether you intend to meet the highest standards in the country or not. To do this effectively, it's important to have a consistent process for the inspection. For each piece of equipment you have in your inventory, …

Recently a construction company contacted us to ask about using a Miller Beam Anchor. They knew the anchor had the ability to provide anchorage for fall protection when used in a horizontal application. The 8816-14 from Miller is a typical beam anchor designed to provide an overhead attachment point on an I-beam or an H-beam. What they wanted to know was could they use the same product in on a vertical beam? I'll keep the suspense to a minimum. Yes. Turns out Miller is perfectly happ …

ANSI Z359.1 was published in 1992 and approved a scant 15 years later. Slowly grind the wheels of progress. And ANSI Z359 is progress in terms of worker safety, even if it is going to cost more money in the short run. Greater regulation of worker safety almost inevitably means increased administrative work and expense for employers, compliance provides improved safety for workers and increased protection against litigation. Certainly these are both worthy goals, whether you're working in the …

While roof work in many parts of the country is slowing down or confined to winter repair projects, in California there are still roofing projects in full swing. Because I work for a safety company I can't help but look to see what safety equipment (if any) they're using when the work is happening in my neighborhood. So far, even since the OSHA rule changes earlier this year, only about half of the crews I see working are wearing the mandated fall protection. This is probably due to …

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 …

At height workers, whether they are working solo or as part of a team, must be supplied not only with proper fall protection, but also a plan for rescue. If you or a co-worker fall and aren't able to conveniently self-rescue, what is your plan? Typically workers wearing self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) are generally stopped quicker and closer to the spot they fell from than workers wearing traditional shock-absorbing lanyards. The second group, when they fall, often are stopped relat …