This section includes:
ANSI
Z359.0 Anticipated Requirements Interpretation
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Definitions |
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Interpreted Requirements |
Templates, Examples |
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Active Fall Protection Systems:
A means of providing fall protection that requires authorized persons
to wear or use fall protection equipment and which requires fall protection
training. |
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Authorized Person:
A person assigned by their employer to perform a specific type of duty
or duties at a specific location or locations and who is exposed to a fall
hazard at that location. |
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Authorized Rescuer:
Any person assigned in a rescue and evacuation procedure to perform a
rescue duty or duties. |
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Available Clearance:
The distance from a reference point, such as the working platform, to
the highest obstruction that an authorized person might encounter during a
fall. |
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Capacity: The combined
weight that each component of a fall protection system is designed to
withstand. Combined weight includes the
body weight and clothing, tools, and other objects borne or carried by the
authorized person or authorized rescuer.
For the purpose of this standard, the maximum capacity of a single
person shall be 310 lbs. (140 kg). |
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Certified: An act or
process resulting in documentation that determines and attests to criteria
that meet the requirement of an American National Standard. Such act or process may be carried out by
testing or applying proven analytical methods, or both, under the supervision
of a qualified person or entity. |
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Certified Fall Arrest |
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Clearance Requirement:
The distance below an authorized person in which an arrested fall
would prevent that person from contacting any object or structure. The clearance requirement includes total fall
distance; the deflection of anchorage and anchorage connectors, the length
and elongation of the full body harness and the body, the vertical component
of any swing fall; and a clearance safety factor. The clearance requirement accounts for
performance of the system, the number of authorized persons allowed on the
system and their body position (kneeling or standing). |
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Competent Person:
An individual knowledgeable of fall protection equipment, including
the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions for the proper use,
inspection, storage, and maintenance; and who is capable of identifying
existing and potential fall hazards; and who has the employer's authority to
take prompt corrective action to eliminate those hazards; and who is knowledgeable
of the laws, regulations, and standards regarding fall protection equipment
and systems. |
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Competent Person Trainer:
A competent person who is also qualified to deliver fall protection
training. |
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Competent Rescuer:
A person who, by virtue of training, knowledge, and experience, is
qualified to perform rescues. |
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Competent Rescue Trainer:
A competent person in fall protection and a competent rescuer who is
also qualified to deliver rescue training. |
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Component: An integral
assembly of interconnected elements (parts) intended to perform one function
in the system. |
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Continuous Fall Protection:
One or more fall protection systems that protect without interruption
an authorized person exposed to a fall hazard. |
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Controlled Descent Device:
A device that allows an individual to manually control his/her descent.
It is most commonly used for suspended
work positioning, self evacuation, or rescue operations |
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Energy (shock) Absorber:
A component whose primary function is to dissipate energy and limit
deceleration forces, which the system imposes in the body during fall arrest. |
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Employer: any corporation,
partnership, proprietorship, governmental agency, or other organization that
authorizes its employees to work at locations where they are exposed to fall
hazards. |
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Fall Arrest: The action or
event of stopping a fall. The instant
where the downward fall has been stopped. |
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Fall Arrest System:
The use of multiple equipment components such as full body harnesses,
lanyards, deceleration devices, horizontal lifelines, vertical lifelines, and
anchorage connectors that are rigged to arrest a free fall without exceeding
the anchorage strength requirements of this standard. |
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Fall Hazard: Any location
where an authorized person is exposed to a potential fall of greater than a
prescribed distance to a lower level. |
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Fall Hazard Survey Report:
A written document that contains information about existing or
potential fall hazards and a method or methods for eliminating or controlling
them. |
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Fall Protection:
Any equipment, device, or system that prevents a person from
experiencing an accidental fall from elevation or that mitigates the effect
of such a fall. Fall protection includes
fall arrest systems; work positioning gear, fall restraint devices, and
passive and active measures. |
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Fall Protection Procedures:
A written set of instructions that specify the practices, equipment,
and methods to be used to protect authorized persons exposed to fall hazards. |
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Fall Restraint:
The technique of securing an authorized person to an anchorage using a
tether short enough to prevent the person's center of gravity from reaching
the fall hazard. |
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Fall Restraint System:
A device or devices, including any necessary components, which prevent
an authorized person from reaching a location or position from which they
might fall to a lower level. |
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Free Fall: The act of
falling before the personal fall arrest system begins to apply forces to
arrest the fall. |
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Free Fall Distance:
The vertical distance between onset of a fall and the point at which
any fall protection system begins to arrest the fall. This distance excludes deceleration
distance and the elongation of a lifeline or lanyard, but includes any
distance that a deceleration device slides before engaging or the distance
that a self-retracting lifeline or lanyard extends before fall arrest forces
are applied. |
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Full Body Harness:
A component with a design of straps which is fastened about the person
in a manner so as to contain the torso and distribute the fall arrest forces
over at least the upper thighs, pelvis, chest, and shoulders with means to
attaching it to other components or subsystems. |
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Guardrail System:
A system of horizontal rails and vertical posts that prevent a person
from reaching a fall hazard. |
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Hazard Elimination:
Changing the task, process, controls, or other means so as to remove
the need for a person to be exposed to a fall hazard. |
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Horizontal Lifeline:
A flexible line such as a rail, rope, wire, or synthetic cable that is
installed in a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane between two or more
anchorages and to which the authorized person's shock absorbing lanyard,
vertical lifelines, or self-retracting lifeline is attached. |
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Inspection: A thorough
examination of equipment or systems to verify conformance to required
standards. |
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Lanyard: A component
consisting of a connector at each end of a flexible line of rope, wire rope,
or strap used to connect an authorized person to an anchorage. |
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Maximum Arrest Force (MAF):
The peak dynamic force experienced or predicted to be experienced when
arresting a fall or impacting a fall restraint or work positioning system by
a single person of maximum allowable capacity wearing a full body harness. |
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Non-Certified Fall Arrest Anchorage:
A fall arrest anchorage that a competent person judges to be capable
of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per attached person and to
which an authorized person is attached with a maximum free fall of 6 feet
(1.8 m) and with an energy absorbing device having a maximum arrest force of
900 pounds (4 kN). |
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Passive Fall Protection System:
A means of providing fall protection that does not require authorized
persons to wear or use fall protection equipment |
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Personal Fall Arrest System:
see Fall Arrest System. |
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Personal Energy Absorber:
see Energy Absorbing Lanyard. |
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Positioning System:
A body belt or full body harness system rigged to allow an authorized
person to be supported on an elevated vertical or inclined surface, such as a
wall, and work with both hands free from body support. In some cases,
the person will be leaning back. |
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Program Administrator:
A person authorized by an employer to be responsible for managing its
fall protection program. |
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Qualified Person:
A person with recognized degree or professional certificate and with
extensive knowledge, training, and experience in the fall protection and
rescue field, who is capable of designing, analyzing, evaluating, and
specifying fall protection and rescue systems. |
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Qualified Person Trainer:
A qualified person who is also qualified to deliver fall protection
training. |
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Rescue: The process of evacuating
persons to a safe location where they may also receive any needed medical
attention. |
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Rescue and Evacuation Procedure:
A written plan that describes the rescue method or methods to be used
to rescue authorized persons who may be injured or incapacitated while
performing work at heights. |
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Rope Access: A technique
using ropes, normally incorporating two separately secured systems, one as a
means of access and the other as a secondary system used with a harness in
combination with other devices, for access to and from as well as suspension
at the place of work. |
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The
word 'shall' is to be understood as denoting a mandatory
requirement. |
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The
word 'should' is to be understood as denoting a
recommendation. |
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Swing Fall:
A pendulum-like motion that occurs during a vertical fall that results
from being located horizontally away from a fixed anchorage. |
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Total Fall Distance:
The maximum vertical distance fallen by an authorized person connected
to a fall arrest system, starting with the onset of the fall and extending to
the position where the authorized person first achieves zero velocity. Total fall distance includes the sum of the
free fall, elongation, and deceleration distances. |
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Travel Restraint System:
A combination of anchorage, anchorage connector, lanyard
(or other means of connection), and body support intended to be used by an
authorized person to limit their travel in such a manner that they are not
exposed to a fall hazard. Restraint
systems are not intended to support a portion of the authorized person's
weight. |
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Vertical Lifeline:
A component, element, or subsystem which consists of a vertically
suspended flexible line with a connector at the upper end for fastening to an
overhead anchorage or anchorage connector and along which a fall arrester
travels. |
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Work Positioning System:
See Positioning System. |
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Work Restraint System:
See Restraint System. |
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