How Do I Protect Workers Over 310lbs?

During the quoting process, there are many different questions that need to be answered. In addition to finding out the general work area that needs to be covered with a fall protection system and what type of system will be best suited to meet the needs of the application, fall protection professionals will need to know the weight requirements for the system itself if any workers may exceed 310lbs including tools and equipment.

In order for a structural engineer to determine that a building can support the installation of a fall protection system, they will need to know the final weight that needs to be supported by the system itself. Whoever is managing safety at the facility will need to make sure that they consider who will be using the fall protection system in their facility and what types of equipment will be needed while a worker is using the system. For example, if a worker weighs 300 lbs and then they need to carry 50 lbs worth of equipment in order to do their job, the fall protection system that gets used in that facility will need to be able to support that weight.

If you are involved with the quoting process (as a Safety Manager, Competent Person, Qualified Person, etc.), you want to make sure that you explain any high capacity applications if you think that they will be present at your facility. Admittedly, this can be a tricky thing to gauge–weights can fluctuate and tasks at height might change along with the tools needed for that job. And if you think that workers or tools could ultimately cause a weight that would exceed 310 lbs, you should make sure that you install a fall protection system that is rated for higher weight capacities.

When high capacities (i.e. over 310 lbs) will be placed on a fall protection system, there are some standard protocols that should be followed. First and foremost, the person who is monitoring the entire project needs to make sure that every single component that is used on that system is rated for a high weight capacity. If your track is rated to support 400 lbs, but your harness is only rated for 310 lbs, your larger worker could be in a potentially dangerous situation. Weight support is a very important element to fall protection systems.  The weight of the worker is directly linked to the force that is placed on their body during the fall arrest process. For this reason, weights and component capacities play a large role in the successful selection of a fall protection system.

The physical track, full body harnesses, shock absorber/SRL, and all connection devices (example: carabiners) need to be rated for high capacity use. And don’t forget about the rescue devices! If you find that you need to support heavier workers on high capacity equipment, make sure that EVERY COMPONENT is rated for high-capacity use. Generally speaking, OSHA and ANSI Z359 do not recognize or address any equipment that is rated for a capacity over 310 lbs. As long as the equipment does not exert over 1,800 lbs of maximum arresting force, it is still compliant with that particular OSHA requirement when wearing a full body harness.

Every human body is different and may respond to fall arrest equipment in a different way. But, people who are carrying more weight are at an increased risk for experiencing the effects of suspension trauma. This is linked to the fact that there is a greater potential for health problems within the worker. Also, the heavier weight of the worker will put more pressure on the harness during fall arrest. That increased harness pressure against the body also increases the chance of cardiac distress, fainting, stroke, or even death. Plus, heavier workers are more likely to experience these side effects at a faster rate than a lighter weight worker. This is why there needs to be a distinct rescue plan so that a heavier worker can be retrieved as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Developing a rescue plan for heavier workers can be challenging because the plan needs to happen quickly and the rescue equipment needs to be rated for a higher weight capacity. Also, the heavier worker will probably travel a longer distance before their fall is arrested. For this reason, it is important to consider the type of fall arrest device in relation to the location of the device. If there’s a limited amount of space below the heavier worker, an SRL is probably better to use than an Energy Absorbing Lanyard.

Although it can require some extra planning and consideration, protecting heavier workers is a relatively straightforward process. It will require a thorough examination of all of the equipment that is being used to ensure that every component being used is rated to support a higher weight capacity. But, after some thorough worksite and equipment evaluations, you should be able to arrest the fall of any worker.

Please note: The information provided in this blog is only in relation to rigid track overhead fall protection systems. People using wire rope deflection systems have many additional things that they will need to consider during the installation process. We will cover that topic at another time. For the purposes of this blog, we were strictly discussing safety points for rigid overhead fall protection systems.

Until the next time, stay safe up there!