Fall Protection Forum

Leading and sharp edges are a huge threat in the fall protection industry. Not only do leading and sharp edges present unique risks, but they also require special products. Using standard personal fall arrest products can have catastrophic results for employees working on leading and sharp edges. OSHA defines a…

Although fall protection, fall restraint, and fall prevention are similar in concept,…

There have been a lot of news stories in New England about people falling through residential and commercial buildings while attempting to clear their roofs of heavy snow. Recently, several men and women have died or suffered serious injuries after climbing to the roof to assess their snow removal needs…

In the fall protection industry, the process of deflection is characterized by any piece of equipment that is displaced or misshapen under the load of arresting a fall or supporting a worker’s bodyweight after a fall has been arrested. Deflection most commonly occurs with a rope or wire cable style…

If you have a project coming up or work in a profession that takes you to great physical heights, for example as a window washer, roofer, or tree care professional, you probably know a lot about how to keep yourself safe so high up. However it is always good to…

The holidays are a notoriously busy time for families and businesses alike. Whether a family has ordered gifts online or a business needs a new piece of safety equipment, people in the trucking industry are extremely busy receiving and delivering shipments at the end of the year. Along with a…

For people who have had a fall arrested while working at height, suspension trauma can be avoided in one of two ways: prompt rescue (i.e. within 15 minutes) or properly using trauma relief straps. Suspension trauma is caused by a worker’s blood getting caught in their legs and becoming toxic…

This blog was originally posted on 10/22/2014 and reviewed 3/9/2021. Disclaimer: The staff of Rigid Lifelines are not medical experts. If a worker is experiencing suspension trauma, seek medical assistance immediately. Historically, rescue planning is the part of a fall protection program that most workplaces forget. This forgotten planning usually…

Self-retracting lanyards (SRL) are the form of fall arrest device that is required for use with all Rigid Lifelines fall protection systems. In order to ensure that your fall arrest device is functioning at its peak performance, it’s crucial that you inspect your equipment thoroughly before each use. After any…

Because of the similar structure of material handling cranes and engineered track fall protection systems, it can seem more efficient to use a fall protection system for the purposes of material handling. However, there are unique design differences between equipment used for fall protection and material handling. The design difference…

Shock absorbing lanyards are commonly used devices for fall arrest. In several specific fall protection applications, shock absorbing lanyards are actually the preferred device. As with anything in the fall protection industry, it’s important to inspect your equipment before each use. When equipment is used without a preliminary inspection, there…

Picking out a rooftop fall protection system can be a little overwhelming because most safety personnel know that they need to protect rooftop workers, but they don’t always know what the best solution might be. As a result, some people may feel it’s easier to simply avoid finding a fall…