The Anchor Trolley for Post-Fall Rescue

Whenever a worker falls, they are going to have a bit of momentum and energy behind their movement (albeit unintended).  If the worker isn’t attached to a fall protection system during a fall event, they will have nothing to arrest their fall and they will be at the mercy of gravity and the area below them. If a worker is attached to a fall protection system during a fall event, they are certainly going to have a higher chance of surviving.  However, even if a worker is connected to a system, there are some complications that can arise.  One of the biggest issues that a worker can face when attached to a fall arrest system is post-fall drift.

Post-fall drift is when a worker rolls away from the immediate area around where they fell. When a worker is performing a task while attached to a fall protection system, it is preferable that the trolley rolls freely inside the track so as to not hinder the worker’s movement. As a result, if a worker falls while attached to those trolleys, they will be more likely to drift away from where they fell.  If a worker drifts too far away from where they fell, rescuing that worker could be difficult. And if a rescue takes too long, that worker will be at an increased risk for suffering from suspension trauma (which can lead to death). 

Because of the danger that post-fall drift poses to workers using fall protection, Rigid Lifelines decided to create the Anchor Trolley.  The Anchor Trolley is the first fall protection trolley that features an automatic braking mechanism to prevent workers from drifting on the track after a fall.  An SRL or Rip-Stitch Lanyard connects to the Anchor Trolley in the same fashion as other trolleys. And the SRL or Rip –Stitch Lanyard will arrest the fall energy, as it would on any other system. The difference is in the trolley.

When any weight over 50 pounds is added to the trolley, a series of pressure-activated steel “teeth” will clamp down onto any rigid track.  Those teeth generate the friction that keeps the Anchor Trolley in one place.  If the worker is able-bodied after the fall event, the worker should be able to easily step back up onto the area where they fell. Once the weight of the worker is no longer suspended from the Anchor Trolley, the teeth will retract back into the frame of the device. Once the teeth are no longer activated, the trolley can promptly return to normal movement.   

After any fall event, it is always wise to check all of the equipment that was used. Although the Anchor Trolley is made from non-consumable parts and is designed to be used multiple times without needing to be replaced, it is always best practice to inspect the Anchor Trolley and all other equipment after a fall event to establish if anything needs to be replaced.