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Sample Fall Protection Plan

This sample plan outlines the elements that must be addressed in any fall protection plan. The reasons outlined in this sample fall protection plan are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily a valid, acceptable rationale (unless the conditions at the job site are the same as those covered by this sample plan) for not using conventional fall protection systems for a particular residential construction worksite. However, the sample plans provide guidance to employers on the type of information that is required to be discussed in fall protection plans.

  • Anchor

    A secure point of attachment for lifeline or lanyard.

  • Anchorage

    A secure means of attachment to check if the personal fall arrest system is connected.

  • Attachment Point

    A loop or “D” ring connected (integrally) to the body support that provides a means for attachment of other components of the fall protection system.

  • Body Harness

    Means straps, which may be secured about the worker in a manner that will distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders with means for attaching it to other components of a personal fall arrest system.

  • Carabiner

    A link with a gate that is normally closed or that automatically closes, and is used to connect components of a personal fall protection system.

  • Connector

    A device which is used to couple (connect) parts of the personal fall arrest system and positioning device systems. It may be an independent component of the system, such as a carabiner, or it may be an integral component of part of the system (such as a buckle or D-ring sewn into a body belt or body harness, or a snap-hook spliced or sewn to a lanyard or self-retracting lanyard).

  • D Ring

    A form of attachment point on body belts and fully body harnesses meant for attachment of other components of a fall protection and positioning system.

  • Fall Arrest System

    A system that will stop a worker’s fall before the worker hits the surface below.

  • Fall Prevention System

    Those systems and techniques that eliminate the possibility of a fall.

  • Fall Protection System

    Any of the following when used to protect a worker from a fall or minimize the risk from falling: Guardrails, Safety belt or a full body harness with a lanyard and/or lifeline and an anchor, and their related equipment, Safety net, Control zone, Safety monitor with a control zone, and other acceptable procedures.

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  • Fall Protection Solutions

    Any combination of engineered systems, services, and strategies designed to keep workers safe at height, including:

    Hazard assessments and site-specific planning

    Engineered systems such as guardrails, lifelines, anchors, and platforms, Training and compliance support, Turnkey design, supply, and installation, Industry-specific approaches (rooftop, railcar, aircraft, manufacturing, energy, etc.), Ongoing inspection and maintenance programs

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  • Fall Restraint System

    A work positioning system to prevent a worker from falling from a work position, or a travel restriction system such as guardrails or a personal fall protection system to prevent a worker from traveling to an edge from which the worker could fall.

  • Full Body Harness

    A body support device consisting of connected straps designed to distribute a fall arresting force over at least the thigh, shoulders and pelvis, with provision for attaching a lanyard, lifeline or other components.

  • Horizontal Lifeline System

    A system composed of a synthetic or wire rope installed horizontally between two anchors, to which a worker attaches a personal fall protection system.

  • Lanyard

    A flexible line of webbing, synthetic rope or wire rope that is used to secure a safety belt or full body harness to a lifeline or anchor.

  • Lifeline

    A synthetic or wire rope, rigged from one or more anchors, to which a worker’s lanyard or other part of a personal fall protection system is attached.

  • Personal Fall Arrest System

    A system used to arrest an employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, a body belt or body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline or suitable combinations of these. As of January 1, 1998, the use of a body belt for fall arrest is prohibited.

  • Rope Grab

    A deceleration device which travels on a lifeline and automatically, by friction, engages the lifeline and locks so as to arrest the fall of an employee. A rope grab usually employs the principle of inertial locking, cam/level locking or both (also referred to as a fall arrester).

  • Self-Retracting Lifeline/Lanyard

    A deceleration device containing a drum-wound line, which can be slowly extracted from, or retracted onto, the drum under slight tension during normal worker movement, and which, after onset of a fall, automatically locks the drum and arrests the fall.

  • Shock Absorber

    A device intended to to limit the deceleration forces exerted on a worker during fall arrest.

  • Snap Hooks

    A connector comprised of a hook-shaped member with a normally closed keeper, or similar arrangement, which may be opened to permit the hook to receive an object and, when released, automatically closes to retain the object.

  • Chapter 1
    System Design

    1.1 System Description
    1.2 Operations and Maintenance Manual (O&M Manual)

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  • Chapter II
    Anchorage Points

    2.1 Single Anchor Point(s)
    2.2 Horizontal Lifelines
    2.3 Horizontal Lifelines for Roofs
    2.4 Rigid Rail Systems
    2.5 Vertical Lifeline System
    2.6 Additional Important Notes on Anchorage Points

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  • Chapter III
    Bodywear

    3.1 Full Body Harness
    3.2 Harness Basics
    3.2.1 Webbing Parts / Inspection
    3.2.2 Stitching / Inspection
    3.2.3 Tags / Inspection
    3.2.4 Hardware / Inspection
    3.2.4.1 D-Rings
    3.2.4.2 Buckles
    3.3 Specialty Harnesses
    3.4 Harness Donning
    3.5 Harness Cleaning
    3.6 Storage
    3.7 Caution

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  • Chapter IV
    Connecting Devices

    4.1 Fixed Length Energy-Absorbing Lanyards
    4.1.1 Snaphooks & Carabiners
    4.1.2 Lanyard Material (Web, Cable, Stretchable Web)
    4.1.3 Energy-Absorber
    4.1.4 Free Fall Definition
    4.1.5 Deceleration Definition
    4.1.6 White & Black Label Lanyards
    4.1.7 Specialty Lanyards
    4.1.8 Inspection & Maintenance
    4.2 Self-Retracting Lifelines
    4.2.1 SRLs vs. PFLs
    4.2.2 Class A & Class B SRLs
    4.2.3 Specialty SRLs & PFLs
    4.2.3.1 Twin-Leg & Tie-Back PFLs
    4.2.3.2 Self Retracting Lifeline with Rescue (SRL-R)
    4.2.3.3 Sealed SRLs
    4.2.3.4 Leading Edge SRLs / PFLs (SRL-LE)
    4.2.4 Inspection & Maintenance

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  • Chapter V
    Manufacturer Required Annual Inspection / Recertification

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  • Chapter VI
    What to Do Should a Fall Occur

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  • Chapter VII
    System Damage by Other Means

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  • Chapter VIII
    Rescue

    8.1 Suspension Trauma
    8.2 Rescue Considerations
    8.3 Rescue Types
    8.4 Rescue Performance

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Videos

How to Tension a Vertical Lifeline
Vertical Lifeline Inspection Guidelines
Tips for Climbing a Vertical Lifeline
How to Attach to a Vertical Lifeline