# ROPES and Harnesses - Fall Protection 101



## kmp

I started climbing when I was a kid and still have some old gear that is still safe enough for high angle paint work. The biners and rope ascenders you show are made by a major climbing company. I use a dynamic climbing rope and that makes the fall arrest device unnecessary as the stretch in the rope does what the fall arrest device does. I only use a full body harness when I think osha might be around, but as an owner with no employees it is not much of a worry. A harness with a rear D ring is ,in my opinion, pretty useless and gets in the way on a roof. Also if you fall and are suspended you are backwards to the rope and no way to turn around and try to use the ascender so you have to wait for someone to help you .A waist harness is better. I there is any concern about how safe they are just you tube "climbing whippers" and see that those falls are much worse than anything painters will incur. Even a front ring full body harness will be in the way. I used to do a lot of it but it is not as much fun as it used to be. Rock climbing is more fun.


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## Holland

kmp said:


> I started climbing when I was a kid and still have some old gear that is still safe enough for high angle paint work. The biners and rope ascenders you show are made by a major climbing company. I use a dynamic climbing rope and that makes the fall arrest device unnecessary as the stretch in the rope does what the fall arrest device does. I only use a full body harness when I think osha might be around, but as an owner with no employees it is not much of a worry. A harness with a rear D ring is ,in my opinion, pretty useless and gets in the way on a roof. Also if you fall and are suspended you are backwards to the rope and no way to turn around and try to use the ascender so you have to wait for someone to help you .A waist harness is better. I there is any concern about how safe they are just you tube "climbing whippers" and see that those falls are much worse than anything painters will incur. Even a front ring full body harness will be in the way. I used to do a lot of it but it is not as much fun as it used to be. Rock climbing is more fun.


Sole Owners are not subject to the same regs as employers.

Waist Harnesses are prohibited for the latter. I agree that rear connectors are not good for house painting (they do not allow for self rescue, and are always in the way), which is why I suggested a harness that has both front and back connectors. Singing Rock makes a great harness, with a strong O ring connector!

I prefer to use climbing gear, I think they work better and are held to higher standards (also a nod to time spent in Colorado).


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## kmp

Yup climbing is lighter, better, faster.


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## fromthenorthwest

Safety, one of those things that's not important until it is. The older I get the more I like to tie off. I look at some of the houses I painted when I first started out and can't believe I didn't use safety equipment on them. Been using lifts more often too, of course they don't do any good on hilly terrain which is where the high walls tend to be!

For roofs with no anchors i like the hitch clip. You can put them under a shingle just like you would a roof jack.


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## Holland

fromthenorthwest said:


> Safety, one of those things that's not important until it is. The older I get the more I like to tie off. I look at some of the houses I painted when I first started out and can't believe I didn't use safety equipment on them. Been using lifts more often too, of course they don't do any good on hilly terrain which is where the high walls tend to be!
> 
> For roofs with no anchors i like the hitch clip. You can put them under a shingle just like you would a roof jack.


Lol, yes!

Thanks @fromthenorthwest, good share about the Hitch Clip!





edit: going to include a link in the article, thx.


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## kentdalimp

Ok Holland, I do appreciate the article and there is a lot of useful information. As a former owner who still occasionally does dumb things, and has narrowly avoided death on a couple of occasions there are a few more things people need to realize.

I do agree, any painter attempting anything is better than nothing, BUT people need to know the actual rules. (For the US)

Only if you are a Sole Proprietor and have NO employees or "contractors" then OSHA can't fine you. But if you do have any employees then you are on the hook. [Article]

Fall protection falls under 2 categories: Passive and Active

Passive Fall Protection are things like Guardrails/Handrails/Pony Walls that were placed to keep people from falling. They are static (They don't move) and they don't require any sort of Human element to function. 

Active Fall Protection, the type of Fall protection we mostly deal with, is also divided into two categories: Fall Restraint and Fall Arrest

Fall Restraint Systems are designed to keep someone from falling in the first place. The Example would be a 6 foot lanyard when you are 10 feet from a fall risk. If you are wearing the Lanyard, you can't even get close enough to fall off the edge. 

Fall Arrest Systems are designed to stop you safely during the fall. OSHA wants you to use Fall Restraint systems whenever possible, and revert to Fall Arrest only when there are no other options. 

A Couple of things to be aware of. For anything to be accepted by OSHA is must meet the correct ANSI requirement. [ANSI Z359] All parts of the Fall Protection System would need to meet the ANSI Requirement (Anchor, Safety Line, Harness, Connectors, etc.) Anything you buy that is complaint will list the ANSI certification prominently. You can use items that aren't ANSI certified but it will be an UPHILL battle with OSHA, especially if there has been an incident. 

One thing OSHA is going to ask if they show up on your jobsite is for the following:

Fall Protection Plan [LINK]
Proof of current Fall Protection Training [LINK]
And Usually a Fall Rescue Plan [LINK]
Basically they want to make sure that you as an employer have thought about: How to do the Job Safely, Trained your employees how to work safely, and planned what to do if a Fall does happen. If you work on any large commercial sites they are going to ask for most of these items during the submittal process. 

This will all be before they look at any of your equipment or anchors used. 

While many companies will pay to have an Engineer design a Fall protection system for various projects, if you do a little research you can engineer your own as long as you follow the rules and use the correct equipment. 

The Biggest takeaway's I would put here just so people are aware:


Getting Paint on any of your equipment (Ropes/Lanyards/Harnesses) will actually weaken them, and disqualify them. (Yes it's a catch 22)
Suspension Trauma is a real thing and people die from it every year. [LINK] (Hence a rescue plan) 
Limit the fall distance and swing. [LINK]
A Full Body Harness is what is required for any sort of Fall Arrest system. 
While I am NOT an OSHA lover, I can't argue with the fact that Construction has become safer because of these systems and protections. I have had friends that didn't come home, and I myself have almost died due to my own stupidity. 

More info that everybody should read [ARTICLE]

I'm looking for a photo of my head after I fell off a ladder on a staircase a few years back. Ended up falling 14 feet onto my head. Knocked me out cold, and should have broke my neck. I was lucky, but it could have easily been avoided. If I find it I will post it.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Good Stuff @Holland. Lots of valuable info for sure.

The only thing I'd challenge is NOT using a dynamic rope for fall arrest. Static ropes have very little stretch, which creates exponentially higher impact forces from a sudden fall. Dynamic ropes will stretch more during a fall, so they have that "give", which is easier on the body and our gear in the event of a sudden fall. I do see great benefits when using static ropes when climbing my trees on my property to trim them though, due to their low elongation, (less bounce), makes for much more efficient ascents. Arborist in general tend to use the most static rope they can get for climbing.


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## Masterwork

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Good Stuff @Holland. Lots of valuable info for sure.
> 
> The only thing I'd challenge is NOT using a dynamic rope for fall arrest. Static ropes have very little stretch, which creates exponentially higher impact forces from a sudden fall. Dynamic ropes will stretch more during a fall, so they have that "give", which is easier on the body and our gear in the event of a sudden fall. I do see great benefits when using static ropes when climbing my trees on my property to trim them though, due to their low elongation, (less bounce), makes for much more efficient ascents. Arborist in general tend to use the most static rope they can get for climbing.


Enjoy your dynamic rope when it stretches, and your lanyard stretches out.... Suddenly your smacking into the ground wondering why your fall protection didn't stop you. I'd rather know that my 6' lanyard will only ever stretch to 9'... But maybe that's just me.


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## Holland

kentdalimp said:


> Ok Holland, I do appreciate the article and there is a lot of useful information. As a former owner who still occasionally does dumb things, and has narrowly avoided death on a couple of occasions there are a few more things people need to realize.
> 
> I do agree, any painter attempting anything is better than nothing, BUT people need to know the actual rules. (For the US)
> 
> Only if you are a Sole Proprietor and have NO employees or "contractors" then OSHA can't fine you. But if you do have any employees then you are on the hook. [Article]
> .
> 
> Fall protection falls under 2 categories: Passive and Active
> 
> Passive Fall Protection are things like Guardrails/Handrails/Pony Walls that were placed to keep people from falling. They are static (They don't move) and they don't require any sort of Human element to function.
> 
> Active Fall Protection, the type of Fall protection we mostly deal with, is also divided into two categories: Fall Restraint and Fall Arrest
> 
> Fall Restraint Systems are designed to keep someone from falling in the first place. The Example would be a 6 foot lanyard when you are 10 feet from a fall risk. If you are wearing the Lanyard, you can't even get close enough to fall off the edge.
> 
> Fall Arrest Systems are designed to stop you safely during the fall. OSHA wants you to use Fall Restraint systems whenever possible, and revert to Fall Arrest only when there are no other options.
> 
> A Couple of things to be aware of. For anything to be accepted by OSHA is must meet the correct ANSI requirement. [ANSI Z359] All parts of the Fall Protection System would need to meet the ANSI Requirement (Anchor, Safety Line, Harness, Connectors, etc.) Anything you buy that is complaint will list the ANSI certification prominently. You can use items that aren't ANSI certified but it will be an UPHILL battle with OSHA, especially if there has been an incident.
> 
> One thing OSHA is going to ask if they show up on your jobsite is for the following:
> 
> Fall Protection Plan [LINK]
> Proof of current Fall Protection Training [LINK]
> And Usually a Fall Rescue Plan [LINK]
> Basically they want to make sure that you as an employer have thought about: How to do the Job Safely, Trained your employees how to work safely, and planned what to do if a Fall does happen. If you work on any large commercial sites they are going to ask for most of these items during the submittal process.
> 
> This will all be before they look at any of your equipment or anchors used.
> 
> While many companies will pay to have an Engineer design a Fall protection system for various projects, if you do a little research you can engineer your own as long as you follow the rules and use the correct equipment.
> 
> The Biggest takeaway's I would put here just so people are aware:
> 
> 
> Getting Paint on any of your equipment (Ropes/Lanyards/Harnesses) will actually weaken them, and disqualify them. (Yes it's a catch 22)
> Suspension Trauma is a real thing and people die from it every year. [LINK] (Hence a rescue plan)
> Limit the fall distance and swing. [LINK]
> A Full Body Harness is what is required for any sort of Fall Arrest system.
> While I am NOT an OSHA lover, I can't argue with the fact that Construction has become safer because of these systems and protections. I have had friends that didn't come home, and I myself have almost died due to my own stupidity.
> 
> More info that everybody should read [ARTICLE]
> 
> I'm looking for a photo of my head after I fell off a ladder on a staircase a few years back. Ended up falling 14 feet onto my head. Knocked me out cold, and should have broke my neck. I was lucky, but it could have easily been avoided. If I find it I will post it.



Construction has definitely become safer because of OSHA regs, and I have tried to comply to best of my ability. Some of OSHA regs are recommendations, others are rules. Passive restraints, for example, are difficult to implement most of the time for house painting maintenance, imo. Thoughts?

*Yes, in USA, if you have employees, then the rules apply. Thank you for the follow-up, and specifics, and links! Wow!


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## Holland

Masterwork said:


> Enjoy your dynamic rope when it stretches, and your lanyard stretches out.... Suddenly your smacking into the ground wondering why your fall protection didn't stop you. I'd rather know that my 6' lanyard will only ever stretch to 9'... But maybe that's just me.


I was thinkng that. Dynamic ropes can stretch something like 40-70% of their length.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Holland said:


> I was thinkng that. Dynamic ropes can stretch something like 40-70% of their length.


"Dynamic" is much more ambiguous than "Static", due to the sheer variances, so I completely understand where you're coming from. My point was to choose a rope that has some dynamic properties. Impact forces from as little as 10' on a very static rope, (>6% elongation), can be fatal. The more static the rope, the more important it is to keep it taught.


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## Masterwork

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> "Dynamic" is much more ambiguous than "Static", due to the sheer variances, so I completely understand where you're coming from. My point was to choose a rope that has some dynamic properties. Impact forces from as little as 10' on a very static rope, (>6% elongation), can be fatal. The more static the rope, the more important it is to keep it taught.


You need to use a shock pack or lanyard or something. Never just a rope.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Masterwork said:


> Enjoy your dynamic rope when it stretches, and your lanyard stretches out.... Suddenly your smacking into the ground wondering why your fall protection didn't stop you. I'd rather know that my 6' lanyard will only ever stretch to 9'... But maybe that's just me.


This isn't a cartoon where you're rubber-banding to ground. Overly static ropes from sudden falls not only greatly increase the impact forces on the user in the event of a fall, it's also much more likely to shear your rope if using toothed ascenders/rope grabs. The more slack in the system, the bigger the risk. That's a fact, not opinion.


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## Holland

edit: 
I cannot find any specific OSHA restrictions barring the use of Dynamic ropes. It may or may not exist, but I cant find anything, and I looked through the pertinent sections. 
That said, I would caution most people against using dynamic ropes, they are not really meant for use as construction lifelines. 

Was surprised to discover that Shock Lanyards are not mandatory, but what _*is*_ mandatory is limiting the force of a fall. 

At any rate, I have a system that meets the current requirements, and don't need to overthink it. 

"Shock absorbing lanyards are not mandatory but are often used to comply with OSHA's Subpart M requirements. The specifications for a personal fall arrest system are in 29 CFR 1926.502(d). One of the provisions in this section requires that when using a full body harness, the *system must limit the maximum arresting force exerted on an employee to 1,800 pounds*. One means of complying with this section is to use a shock absorbing lanyard."


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## Packard

A friend of mine owns a tree trimming company. He was taking down a large tree in sections that was dangerously close to the house. He tied off the section he was going to drop next and hooked the rope to his pickup truck's pintle hook and put some tension on the rope. It was just a twisted yellow nylon rope with a lot of stretch and the ability to store a lot of energy. 

His goal was to keep the section from landing on the house.

Well, the rope broke. It snapped against a picture window and knocked over a china cabinet destroying the cabinet and its contents. 

His insurance covered this (for several thousand dollars). It just proves that choosing the wrong rope for a job can be dangerous. On a side note, I am not sure that there is a "right rope" for that job. Maybe a piece of chain would have been good. 

He did buy a boom truck after that and it was no longer an issue for him.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Packard said:


> A friend of mine owns a tree trimming company. He was taking down a large tree in sections that was dangerously close to the house. He tied off the section he was going to drop next and hooked the rope to his pickup truck's pintle hook and put some tension on the rope. It was just a twisted yellow nylon rope with a lot of stretch and the ability to store a lot of energy.
> 
> His goal was to keep the section from landing on the house.
> 
> Well, the rope broke. It snapped against a picture window and knocked over a china cabinet destroying the cabinet and its contents.
> 
> His insurance covered this (for several thousand dollars). It just proves that choosing the wrong rope for a job can be dangerous. On a side note, I am not sure that there is a "right rope" for that job. Maybe a piece of chain would have been good.
> 
> He did buy a boom truck after that and it was no longer an issue for him.


I had a similar problem occur the first year of trimming big oak limbs on my property and using zip lines to bring them down after the cut. All limbs cut were directly above the house. Used some 150' hanks of safety rope I had for fall protection for painters/roofers, (Compliance in a Can Kits), but was way too stretchy, causing huge sags in the line when cut. First few came dangerously close to the roof on the way to the ground, no matter how much I pre-tensioned. Learned quickly after that to use the right rope for the job. Also learned that I pretty much wasted the hanks of dynamic rope I used initially, since no rigging gear should ever be repurposed as safety gear. Lotsa dumb choices early on. The scary part is, I don't think I'm done making dumb decisions yet.


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## Holland

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> I had a similar problem occur the first year of trimming big oak limbs on my property and using zip lines to bring them down after the cut. All limbs cut were directly above the house. Used some 150' hanks of safety rope I had for fall protection for painters/roofers, (Compliance in a Can Kits), but was way too stretchy, causing huge sags in the line when cut. First few came dangerously close to the roof on the way to the ground, no matter how much I pre-tensioned. Learned quickly after that to use the right rope for the job. Also learned that I pretty much wasted the hanks of dynamic rope I used initially, since no rigging gear should ever be repurposed as safety gear. Lotsa dumb choices early on. The scary part is, I don't think I'm done making dumb decisions yet.



"compliance in a can kits" lol! never heard 'em called that before. Probably best to replace them anyway, usually pretty low-grade stuff.


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## Holland

Thomas111 said:


> I purchased Guardian harness as a DIY’er for home projects. The quality is great, they are comfortable and adjusting the straps is easy and they are very durable. The price has to be one of the most competitive on the market right now given the great quality and the overall comfort. I would highly recommend this item to anyone requiring fall protection, it just may save your life!


Looks like Guardian makes a quality harness (they carry a range of higher and lower quality safety gear). 

What are you using for your fall arrest device? 
What are you using for the other components of ABC?


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## jennifertemple

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Lotsa dumb choices early on. The scary part is, I don't think I'm done making dumb decisions yet.


You're never too old to learn something stupid.


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