However, a breakdown in any one component of a PFAS could result in injury. When working perfectly, a PFAS is your first lifeline of protection from injury from falls. This includes construction workers, roofers, painters, and other trades that work at elevated heights. They are ideal for temporary jobs or for solutions where permanent anchor points are not an option.Ī PFAS is a tool that all workers should have when doing work at any height. These portable, non-penetrating weighted anchor systems can be set up quickly and easily with common tools. Portable anchor poins are useful in situations where there is a temporary need to access a roof or other elevated structure. An engineer could design or approve an anchor point for you that did not meet the 5000 lb requirement if calculations showed that the anchor point would support twice the maximum forces in the event of a fall). If designed for the proper forces as required by OSHA’s 29 CFR Subpart M, it can hold multiple workers at a time (the “5000 lbs per worker attached” is the regulation rule-of-thumb, but it is important to note that OSHA states in their regulations that what is actually required is a safety factor of two. If you have a crew of people working instead of just one or two employees, you will want to consider a horizontal lifeline. They allow multiple workers freedom of movement while still being protected. That is where horizontal lifelines come in. On a job site with many workers, it may be unreleastic to have every worker tied off to their own anchor point. Most workers can only be connected to a single anchor point at a time. They allow multiple workers to work at the same time, while still being protected from fall. Horizontal lifelines are part of a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS). Permanent anchor points are easy to install and are cost-effective, and they can be useful even after the initial construction phase. Many builders offer homeowners permanent anchor points on their homes as a selling point. They are becoming more popular in recent years, especially on new home construction. Permanent anchor points are ones that are made of galvanized or stainless steel and are permanently affixed to the structure. There are temporary or permanent engineered anchor points. That’s why the only way to 100% exceed OSHA regulations and keep your workers safe is with a specialized engineered anchor point system.Įngineered anchor point systems are anchor points specifically made to exceed OSHA regulations and make sure that your workers can withstand a fall. Unless you are a trained safety professional, it is almost impossible to choose a qualifying existing structure as an anchor point in the spur of the moment. Not only that, but most people on a job site have no clue about the OSHA requirements, so how on earth could they calculate the correct specifications for the force of a fall? What’s the problem? The problem is that just by eyeballing the job site, it is almost impossible to calculate the exact force these structures can withstand. I n order for an existing structure to qualify as an anchor point, it must be able to withstand 5,000 pounds of force per person attached, or a safety factor of two (meaning it can withstand twice the force that would be applied in a fall). Other than a traditional I-beam, there are few things that qualify as a safe, OSHA-approved way to tie-off. The issue with picking an existing structure as an anchor point is that it is almost impossible to accurately calculate the load requirements for them. The attachments can range in complexity from simple D-rings to entire personal fall arrest systems.Įven though engineered anchor points are the safest and best solution, workers can also tie-off to existing structures, which can present a problem. Anchor points are typically installed on a roof and connects lanyards and lifelines to a worker wearing a body harness. What is an anchor point? An anchor point is an integral part of a fall protection system, and also a vital piece of equipment for anyone that works on roofs or other elevated surfaces.
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