The Importance of Training

Rigid Lifelines specializes in workplace safety. Our rigid rail enclosed track fall arrest systems are designed to improve safety for workers performing tasks at height who might be at risk of injuries from falling. Fall arrest systems attach workers to secure anchors through the use of full-body harnesses and connecting devices. This equipment is designed to stop a worker who has fallen from height before he or she reaches a lower level.

Although these systems improve worker safety, they can only do so when everyone involved has received proper training. This requirement includes two separate groups of people: users and installers. Both users and installers need different types of training, but both are critical to the success of a fall arrest system.

User and installer training is so important because improper use of fall arrest equipment can lead to injury. Using the wrong equipment, or misusing the correct equipment, can injure workers even if a fall arrest system successfully stops them from falling. One of the biggest risks that arises from misusing fall arrest equipment is suspension trauma. Suspension trauma can occur when a worker using a fall arrest system is not rescued promptly. Even a worker using fall protection correctly can risk suspension trauma if left hanging in a harness.

User Training

The most serious risks associated with fall arrest systems are often factors end users can control. These are the risks associated with incorrect usage of equipment. Because misuse can lead to dangerous situations, every person who uses a personal fall arrest system must be trained in its correct use before using the equipment. Fortunately, many common fall protection equipment misuses are easily addressed with proper training.

After receiving fall arrest training, a user should be able to use all of the associated equipment correctly and know when it is being used incorrectly. For example, fall arrest training should teach a user how a full-body harness should fit and how to choose the right one. Additionally, the same training should allow a user to identify whether someone else is wearing a full-body harness that doesn’t fit correctly.

Installer Training

Rigid Lifelines offers Product and Installation Competency Training that can help workplace safety professionals determine the best kind of fall arrest equipment for an application. This training is designed to familiarize dealers and installers with the different types of equipment available. Equipment dealers who take this course should be able to determine what equipment works best in different environments.

For dealers, installers, and others who want more comprehensive training for entire field of workplace safety, Competent Person training equips trainees to become workplace safety professionals. A Competent Person, as defined by OSHA, is someone “who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”

A properly trained Competent Person can improve the safety of a worksite in multiple ways. To begin with, proper training can help a person to recognize hazards and know how to eliminate them. They can use this knowledge to determine if an application requires fall protection, and what kind of fall protection is required in a specific situation.

When it comes to fall arrest, a Competent Person can identify adequate anchorage points. OSHA 1910.140(c)(13) states that anchorage points must be “capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds for each employee attached; or designed, installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall protection system that maintains a safety factor of at least two.” A trained Competent Person can determine whether a potential anchorage point meets the OSHA criteria or if a personal fall arrest system is required.

When it comes to workplace safety, equipment isn’t enough. Proper training and education are equally important to ensure the safest working conditions in any application.