Fall Prevention Safety Systems

Fall Arrest and Fall Prevention is of major importance for all person working at height and is covered by a slew of safety standards internationally as well as in South Africa.

“Fall Protection” is the generic term covering both “arrest” and “prevention” but the hierachy of control places passive / collective fall prevention at the top.

This is typically full-height parapet walls, balustrades with railings, barricades and similar structures that are constructed as part of the building to prevent persons from inadvertently becoming exposed to fall risks.

In many cases such “passive control measures” are not practical and then personal fall prevention systems must be implemented ahead of “fall arrest” system which is a solution of last resort.

Personal fall prevention consists of either statically located anchor points or restraint lines set inward from the face of the building and used on PPE fitted with a lanyard that is too short to allow the person wearing it to reach the danger zone at the edge of the building.

The RS walk-thru device is designed to allow the connected lanyard from being flicked through the catch cage without being disconnected. The design of this walk-thru also removes the potential shear hazard associated with crimped-on/ swaged-on intermediate support points.

All of these systems of rigid or flexible “lifelines” must be designed by a professional engineer in accordance with the requirements of SANS 50795.

Vertical fall arrest lines can be installed next to fixed ladders in lieu of the old fashioned “safety cages” that were used in the past. These lines are equipped with guided fall arrest devices that will automatically lock onto the arrest line in the event of the person slipping or falling off the ladder.

Advantages of the RS walk-thru system

  • Walk-thru units can be placed either against load bearing walls, columns or on floors and can be raised on hollow section posts to raise them above garden level when installed in elevated gardens
  • These units are hot dipped galvanised to reduce corrosion problems and easily replaceable if and when required
  • The tension in the safety line is not absorbed by the intermediate support and is taken back to the start and finish end anchors thus allowing for free thermal expansion / contraction of the line not to affect the base connections of the intermediate supports

 

 

Advantages of the RS Ladder fall arrest system

  • There is no need for unsightly safety cages around vertical fixed ladders
  • The guided fall arrest unit is made from stainless steel ensuring a long life
  • The system automatically trips to prevent the person from falling and in most cases can be inspected, tested and reused following a fall incident