Fall protection in the world of residential construction is changing. What exactly are the changes and what can you do about it?

Yep, it’s official. The countdown is upon us, and on June 16, 2011 it will hit the fan. Starting on June 16th, 2011 workers engaged in residential construction 6 feet or more over a lower level must be protected by conventional fall protection (guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems)

Now, the weird thing is that this really isn’t a new law, but rather an new interpretation of the existing standard. That is to say loop holes have been eliminated and these regulations will actually be enforced.

Think you’re excluded because you live in Montana? Think again, this new ruling affects every single state in the union. All 57, I mean 50.

So they days of, “I’m a man, I’m 40! I’ll be alright.” are gone. A crap load of workers who don’t even know what fall protection is will now need to be outfitted with some sort of protection.

We want to help with some solutions that won’t destroy your bottom line. Here are two quick examples…

Guardrails – This solution is the best, because it requires little or no training, and it can protect more than one person at a time. Guardrails have higher up front costs, but you can take them with you from job to job. And depending on how many folks are on your crew, this could be economical.

Fall Protection System – For those of you in the roofing industry, look no further than a roofing kit. This is an entire fall protection system in a bucket. Just get one of these bad boys for each member of your crew and you’re set to go. This Fall Protection Kit ships for free.

Of course, these are simple solutions. As more of you enter the fold, you will have more and more questions. Please feel free to ask. Jobs can vary from site to site, so don’t be afraid to inquire about the best solutions for your job.

1. OSHA and the Duty to Have Fall Protection – Part 1
2. OSHA Throws In The Towel
3. Preliminary OSHA Findings – 2009 Violations

Finding the right harness can be frustrating. With so many options available, it can be difficult to determine what will fit the needs of your industry. To make this a little easier, weve assembled a cheat sheet to get you started in your search for the perfect harness.

Residential Roofers – Residential roofers simply need to look for a universal harness. A universal harness is a basic harness with a dorsal d-ring. In most cases, these workers wont need side positioning d-rings and a belt may be too cumbersome.

Commercial Roofers – Commercial roofers may want to look for a construction harness that would include side positioning d-rings and a belt for stability. If you dont need the extras, you should be fine with a universal harness.

Manufacturers – Folks who work in a manufacturing plant would want to look towards the positioning harnesses. These harnesses include side positioning d-rings in addition to the dorsal d-ring, since many manufacturers rely on fall restraint and positioning to keep their workers out of danger.

Warehouse Workers – Warehouse workers, like manufacturers, most commonly lean toward positioning harnesses as well. Depending on your job, you may want to look at a construction harness for added support from the included belt.

Welders – Welders will want to be on the lookout for Nomex and Kevlar harnesses that will resist weldings sparks and heat. These harness come in a wide variety of d-ring options so you should be able to find a configuration that meets your jobs needs.

Steel Erectors – While some steel erectors may need to reach for a welding harness, other guys may just need a regular construction harness. The belt, side d-rings, and dorsal d-ring provide most of the features an erector would need. Another pointer is to look for an abrasion resistant harness, do to the rough working conditions of most steel erectors.

Wind/Cell Tower Technicians – Guys climbing towers should be on the lookout for one major feature to a harness… a front or chest d-ring. These are often found on tower harnesses which also usually include several side positioning d-rings for hands free operation. These harnesses can also be called climbing harnesses, and may or may not include the side d-rings.

Bridge Workers – The folks who work on bridges may be exposed to concrete and steel structures. If youre working with concrete, take a look at the commercial roofer. If youre working with steel, take a look at the steel erectors. If you find yourself working with both, a good construction harness ought to do the trick.

One word of caution. The above recommendations are simply a starting point to your search. Every job is unique and may require special harness features. Make sure you review your job and your harness carefully.

Harness quality can be a big issue with some individuals, and with others eh, not such a big deal. Here are a couple of talking points to keep in mind.

Some safety harnesses are made overseas, some of them are made in the U.S. If you want a harness that is made in the United Stated, let us know and well help you find a harness that will work for you. Keep in mind that you may be paying a little extra for that American made labor.

Its also important not to get freaked out by inexpensive harnesses. Basic harnesses can help you and your company save money when trying to outfit an entire fleet of workers. They definitely have their place, but it does bring up an important issue when discussing harness quality.

Higher quality harnesses are made with comfortable materials, feature fancy buckles, and include more padding. They may last a bit longer and they will be more comfortable. However, it is important to remember that a $40 harness and a $300 harness need to meet the exact same safety standards. Just because a harness costs less doesn’t mean it is less safe.

The job of a harness is to catch you when you fall and spread the impact forces across your entire body, and that applies to basic and luxury harnesses alike.

1. Sizing Your Safety Harness
2. Edge Series Harness Review
3. The Mystery of Safety Harness Buckles

One of the most important aspects of buying a harness is the the size. A harness that doesnt fit properly can cause a lot of damage… even death. Lets take a look at how we can prevent this.

The problem with safety harnesses that do not fit correctly or are not properly adjusted is that they actually do more harm than good.

The obvious problem is that you could literally fall out of your harness like a bowling ball through a wet paper towel. Not a good thing. A harness that is not properly adjusted can put pressure on the wrong parts of your body. This can cause death or seriously mess up your giblets if you know what Im talking about. Men, I think you do.

This can all be avoided by reading the harness sizing charts before you order. Two things to keep in mind…

Every fall protectionmanufacturer has a little different way of sizing there harnesses. Just because youve worn a harness from one company that was a large, that doesnt mean that you will always wear a size large no matter what harness you buy.

The second issue, harnesses are not sized like t-shirts. Harness sizes are usually based on your height and weight. Just because you feel comfortable in a size XL t-shirt doesnt mean youll automatically be wearing a size XL harness. Sure, you want to be comfortable, but a harness is designed to fit snug and tight to the body.

Trust me, reading a sizing chart goes a long way to selecting the right harness.

1. Thoughts on Harness Quality
2. How To Put On A Safety Harness
3. The Mystery of Safety Harness Buckles

Id like to go over some common safety harness accessories. Specifically belts, padding, and lanyard keepers. Learn how these accessories work, and if they can help you.

Belts (Sewn In/ Removable) – Belts are usually found on what the industry calls construction harness. (These are not the only harnesses that can be used in the construction industry.)

Belts are available in a wide variety of options. Some belts are removable from the harness, while others may be sewn into the harness. Belts are most commonly found with a tongue buckle strap, but some models do use the quick connect buckle as well.

Another common attribute found on a harness belt is padding. This padding can offer support for your back and provide extra comfort for workers that find themselves in a safety harness for days at a time. And finally, some harness belts can double as a tool belt to keep your gear handy, even while wearing a harness.

Belts are some of the most common accessories available for harnesses, and they can meet a wide variety of applications. Think it over, and determine if a belt is an add-on that is going to help on the job, or will it get in the way?

Padding – Add extra padding to a harness, and you will add dollars to the cost of your harness. This is just a simple fact, I wish it were different, but its not. Although, this isnt necessarily a bad thing.

The lack of padding on entry level and basic harnesses allows individuals to save money on safety gear they may only use once every couple of weeks. The lower cost makes it easier for people to invest in their safety. Remember, regardless of padding and cost, every harness must meet the same safety standards.

Like dollars, harness padding is also directly related to the comfort of the harness. The more padding utilized in an ergonomic design is going to be infinitely more comfortable than a basic harness.

Take some time and think about how often you will be wearing and using your harness. Will you be spending eight hours a day in a safety harness? It might be a good idea to invest in the extra padding. Your body will thank you. If youre an employer buying for your crew, a little bit of extra padding in the harness could make you boss of the year!

Lanyard Hooks/Keepers – Lanyard Hooks, which are also called lanyard keepers, have become more popular in recent years. These are smaller rings and clasps located on the shoulder straps of the harness near the chest strap. Please note: Were not referring to shoulder d-rings, which would be found high on the shoulders, or chest d-rings, which would be located in the center of the chest strap. (Lanyard Keepers can be made of metal, plastic, or webbing)

You may have seen these little hooks/straps, and wondered what theyre for? Well, I will explain… The lanyard keeper is designed to be an intermediate buckle. You keep one end of your lanyard attached to the dorsal d-ring and the other end attaches to the lanyard keeper. This keeps your lanyard off the ground when its not in use. Pretty handy huh? These little attachment points also work well with dual leg lanyards by keeping the second leg out of the way when youre not using it.

Is this something that you would be beneficial to you or your crew? Look for a harness that features lanyard keepers.

If you’ve got some funny little tags hanging off your harness, that’s a good thing. Now, what the heck do they mean? Are they inspection tags or manufacturer’s tags?

Inspection tags can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (You say tomato, I say cucumber.) Some companies may have a full inspection tag, which allows workers to keep a record of inspection directly attached to each harness. Other companies provide a page in the instruction manual for you to keep track of your inspections.

Both of these are equally acceptable. If your jewish Kosher.

That being said, all harnesses should include a tag of manufacture which includes the date the harness was built. It also includes the serial and model number of the harness for you to properly track the harness through your system.

These tags aren’t something you would base a purchase on, but certainly good information to have. I bring it up here, as a disclaimer of sorts to make sure youre aware that you must inspect your harnesses regularly.

On another note if the manufacturer’s tag is missing you should take the harness out of service. You’re opening yourself up to world of troubles when you don’t have a way to track the harness, and you have no idea when it was built. (Some companies, like Miller, have a strict 5 year replacement policy.) Make sure to check out your harness!

One of the things commonly overlooked is equipment you need when tying off at foot level. Especially when it comes to connectors.

The big key to this whole mess is that when you are tying off at your feet, the impact forces are greater than when using an overhead anchor point. The problem comes in when you realize that it will take longer for your lanyard or retractable to register that fall is actually occurring. Two things to work around this.

1. Use a shorter lanyard that is rated for 400 lbs. capacity. For example the Guardian Heavy Duty Lanyard is only 5 ft. long so your fall is registered quicker and you won’t be falling as far. A retractable web lanyard rated for 400 lbs. would also be a good solution as well, as it can stop your fall quickly.

2. Make sure your connectors are rated for 400 lbs. when tying off at foot level. You need this to reduce the impact forces on the body since you will involved in a longer fall. Some of this equipment is advertised as leading edge gear. These connectors are either shorter (lanyards) or lock up faster (retractables) than typical 6 ft. shock lanyards.

Bonus. Always measure your fall clearances! Need help. Check out this post. You want to reduce the forces on your body as much as possible. You do that by making the fall as short as possible. Have questions? Let us know.

In most cases over-wrapping is a bad thing. Christmas presents, Mummies, Eminem whoops, wrong rapping. However, in the case of cross arm straps, over-wrapping can be a good thing. Learn how.

Imagine your wrapping your cross arm strap around a beam hanging overhead. Now, you’ve got a six foot cross arm strap, but you only need it to hang 2 ft. below the beam. Is this even possible? It is, and even though I’d love to sell you a a 4 ft. cross arm strap, it is completely unnecessary.

Let’s for kicks say that one wrap around your beam uses 2 of the 6 ft. of your cross arm strap. Before you send your d-ring though the loop or other d-ring, wrap the strap around the beam a second time. This way you now have an anchor point hanging 2 ft. below the beam.

The other great advantage to this system is that you are making the connection between the beam and the cross arm strap even stronger. Now only wrapping once, will give you the strength you need, but if Tim “The Toolman” Taylor is right, more power is better.

If you have any questions about this technique give us a call and we’d be happy to help you out.

1. Top Fall Protection Products For Steel Erectors

A couple of months ago we talked about how a vertical lifeline works, but we really didn’t address one of the most important components of these systems. The Rope Grab.

The rope grab is the device that allows the worker to move up and down a vertical lifeline. It’s like a bus pass. Without it, you’re an idiot with a rope tied around your waist. (Not a good idea!)