Fall Protection Positioning Device System

Osha defines fall protection positioning device systems as a body belt or body harness system rigged to allow a worker to be supported on an elevated vertical surface such as a wall and work with both hands free while leaning.

Fall protection positioning device system.

Positioning device systems are not fall arrest systems but they are personal safety devices that can be used to prevent an employee from falling. The guardian fall protection rope positioning device assembly is easy to install and is designed to lock automatically in the event of a fall. Positioning device systems must be secured to an anchorage that can support at least twice the potential impact of a worker s fall or 3 000 pounds. A personal fall arrest system provides no support and must limit free fall distance to 6 feet.

As you can probably imagine work positioning systems are quite different from standard fall protection systems and require some specialized equipment and practices and it all begins with the harness. Rope positioning devices can be easily moved along the rope by squeezing the positioning device are compatible with ropes from 5 8 thick and are supremely durable. Positioning device systems must be inspected prior to each use for wear damage and other deterioration. They are an invaluable tool for fall protection but employers and managers must understand how to use them properly.

While the former is very straightforward the latter implies existence of safety device equipment system which protects against a hazard. Specifically positioning device systems and their use shall conform to the following provisions 1915 160. Personal fall protection system means a system including all components an employer uses to provide protection from falling or to safely arrest an employee s fall if one occurs. The fact that a work positioning system wps is not a fall protection system may also be explained by reaching out to the etymology of the words support and protection.

Examples of personal fall protection systems include personal fall arrest systems positioning systems and travel restraint systems. Positioning device systems are briefly mentioned in osha s fall protection standard for construction 29 cfr 1926 502 e under fall protection and osha s shipyard standards 29 cfr 1915 160 under personal protective equipment. Defective components must be removed from service. Work positioning harnesses include extra d rings sometimes as many as four in order to accommodate working in these specialized circumstances.

Body harnesses and components must be used only for employee protection as part of a personal fall arrest system or positioning device system and not hoist materials. A positioning device system provides support and must stop a free fall within 2 feet.