Fall Protection Solutions for Large Areas

Manufacturing and machine maintaining are tasks that require a lot of space. This is simply the nature of the beast. When a company makes a big machine or they fix big machines, they’re going to need a workspace that can handle the equipment. Working with large equipment usually means that people will also be working at height. In accordance with OSHA and ANSI requirements, anyone who is working above the height of 4 feet must be protected.

Working at or above heights of 4 feet can put workers at risk for concussions, breaking or spraining limbs, and, in some instances, death. Even though it is rare, every year at least one worker will die while working at a height between 4 and 6 feet. Much like a person can drown in an inch of water, a person can die at a smaller height just as readily as a taller height. It can be difficult to convince workers that they are in danger of hurting themselves at smaller heights. But, it’s important that workers still use fall protection in these circumstances. Rigid Lifelines produces systems that can cover wide working areas. Two of the best systems to use for a large space are traveling bridge systems and swing arm systems.

The traveling bridge system can be installed in any ceiling that can support the system (as determined by a structural engineer). Traveling bridges are helpful because they can be installed for any desired length, rendering them completely customizable. This allows workers to have coverage for any stretch of space where they may be working. One of the biggest benefits of the traveling bridge system is that it reduces the likelihood of swing falls. Because the bridge keeps the SRL directly above the worker at all times, the system is much more effective and safer for employees.

The swing arm system is beneficial because it comes in a variety of different versions. Swing arms come in wall-mounted, mast-mounted, and column-mounted styles. This makes the swing arm fall protection system very diverse for a variety of applications. Assuming that the structure of the building is strong enough to support the swing arm, a wall mounted swing arm system could be helpful in a narrow location where fall protection is occasionally needed.

In some instances, a competent person may deem it necessary to use a mast-mounted, rotating swing arm fall protection system. When the swing arm is mounted to a mast, it can rotate more freely to cover a wider area. If a factory floor has several machines that need to be maintained, a mast-mounted swing arm system can provide fall protection for specific areas on a factory floor. Mast-mounted systems are beneficial because they can rotate 360° or the swing arm can be locked so that it only moves within a specific radius.

Column-mounted swing arm systems are helpful because they use building columns as a support for the actual swing arm. Once again, a structural engineer will need to determine that the column is able to support the weight of both the swing arm system and the person using the system. But, column-mounted systems have their own advantages. Using the column makes it easier to integrate fall protection into the actual structure of the building and offers a way to save floor space.

When large facilities need to have fall protection, there are many different options that they can use. However, if a Competent Person wants to maximize the area of coverage that they are getting from a fall protection system, then they will want to consider using either the traveling bridge or swing arm system.

Stay Safe! 

Hannah Addison