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Check for Fall Proterction

Check for Fall Proterction

Check for Fall Proterction

(OP)
I am new to this subject. Plant asking me to check if they can tie a worker fall protection to a non structural member?
Does anybody know what's the practice?
What load (what value) in what direction I need to apply to a non structural channel?

Any place that has information or an example? What has to be the Factor of Safety?
Any information appreciated. Never have check or design for such loads. Any impact loads need to be considered.

Thank you

RE: Check for Fall Proterction

OSHA regs govern this. Force varies depending on situation.... As high as 5000#.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)


RE: Check for Fall Proterction

OSHA has a good amount of information on this. If it isn't a structural member, i would say it cannot work. The loads are high and the importance is high. You can limit the arresting force for special lanyards but know that the maximum arresting force allowed for a person is 1800# (I think 1800#...).

Fall Protection Systems-- Certified Anchor / Non-Certified Anchor
Fall arrest-------------- 2 times max. arresting force / 5000 lb
Work positioning--------- 2 times foreseeable force / 3000 lb
Fall restraint----------- 2 times foreseeable force / 1000 lb
Rescue------------------- 5 time applied load / 3000 lb
Horizontal lifeline------ 2 times max. line load

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_docu...

1926.502(d)(15)
Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment shall be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per employee attached, or shall be designed, installed, and used as follows:

1926.502(d)(15)(i)
as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two; and

1926.502(d)(15)(ii)
under the supervision of a qualified person.

1926.502(d)(16)
Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:

1926.502(d)(16)(i)
limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 900 pounds (4 kN) when used with a body belt;

1926.502(d)(16)(ii)
limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness;

RE: Check for Fall Proterction

You limit the max arresting force to 900# based upon the self retracting lanyard. The factor of safety being 2 determines that you design for a force of 1800#. Only a qualified person (which I take to mean a registered engineer) can design the system for the load less than 5000#.

RE: Check for Fall Proterction

The fall arrest suppliers do this all the time. They attach tracks to Standing Seam Roofs. My client didn't believe it, so we called the track supplier. They said they would provide calculations, so the issue went away. I went on the roof after it was installed, and it seemed stout. They just use a lot of rivets and spread the load over a lot of roof.

RE: Check for Fall Proterction

To answer the OP's question "if they can tie a worker fall protection to a non structural member": Yes, if designed by a competent engineer, best to be a licensed PE in his state.

RE: Check for Fall Proterction

If you're new to this I would also warn that there is more to approving a fall arrest anchor point than just checking for the applied loads. You need to make sure that the anchor (or group of anchors)is capable of providing safe access to the required areas. In Canada, you need a handful of CSA standards and local OSHA to properly read up on anchor point strength and proper use. Among other things there are limits on angles which you can approach a hazardous edge.

As for anchor strength...CSA standards (I don't recall which one right now) basically say the anchor point must be designed so that there is no permanent deformation at an applied load of 2500lbs and no failure at an applied load of 5000lbs. As noted above, you can design for 2xMAF (maximum arrest force), but this needs to be clearly understood by the user. Unless this is stated I think it is assumed the anchor is rated for 5000lbs.

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