What Is a Fall Arrest System?

The health and safety industry makes billions of dollars each year educating different industries on the minimum international standards and requirements to ensure the safety of each employee while on the job. For example, employees who work from heights are at risk of falling and injuring themselves. The YouTube video “2 Minute Toolbox Talk: What is a Personal Fall Arrest System?” identifies one of the safety measures put in place to protect employees from injury: a fall arrest system.

Requirements of a Fall Arrest System

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires a properly working fall arrest system to carry up to 5,000 pounds of weight per person using the system. Alternatively, the system should maintain a safety factor of at least two.

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These systems are predominantly employed in the construction industry but are effective for any employee working from heights.

The system consists of various parts that work together to prevent workers from falling and injuring themselves. These parts include a body harness or body belt, an anchorage, a deceleration device, a lanyard, a lifeline, or a combination of these parts.

The fall arrest system is designed to distribute the impact across key body parts and is critical to a health and safety strategy for employees that work from heights.

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