Restraint lanyard and fall arrest lanyards

When working from height it is critical for the user’s safety that a risk assessment has been carried out on the task ahead of time, taking into consideration obstacles, attachment points and the suitable equipment.

Looking at height safety equipment, there is various equipment and systems that can be used, two common types of PFPE (Personal fall protection equipment) are restraint and fall arrest. It is imperative that the correct equipment is selected and used with the required training to ensure you are working safely.

Carrying out work at heights with incorrect equipment will cause the user to be in serious danger.

Working in restraint:

This is when a system is used to prevent a person from reaching areas that have a risk of falling associated with them. This is the best type of protection as it removes the risk of falling all together and in turn should always be considered as your first choice when carrying out work at height.

Restraint lanyards come in different styles and sizes – the safety standard to look out for is EN354:2020.

An example of a restraint lanyard can be seen on this link here, this link will take you to a separate tab so you can continue reading.

When using restraint equipment correctly along with the required training, the equipment will prevent the user from reaching an area with a fall hazard.

Using restraint equipment, it is considered to be the safest way to work from height based on the reasons above.

Fall Arrest:

Working at height with fall arrest equipment such as retractable fall arrest lanyards is required when working at or near a fall hazard, fall arrest equipment is used to reduce the extent and consequences of a possible fall. These systems again should always be used with the correct training and risk assessment carried out.

The fall arrest systems are used to connect to the user and a safe tested connection point on a structure, with the fall distance below to allow for the arrest distance.

Here is an image to easier explain the fall arrest distance, this needs to be properly understood as this is a critical part of fall arrest.

An example of a fall arrest lanyard is here, this link will open a new tab so you can continue reading.

The main responsibilities of fall arrest equipment:

• To prevent workers from falling to a hazard by arresting the fall
• Absorb the energy of the fall for worker safety (shock absorber)
• Have a minimum distance of declaration, based on the lanyard of choice.

When carrying out work from a height, take the time to assess the situation and potential dangers. There is other systems which we will cover in another blog. We will look to discuss work positioning systems and fall limiter systems which are similar to fall arrest lanyards.

To conclude, when working at height try and work in restraint as this limits any risk of falling, if this isn’t an option and you have an area where there is a falling hazard then fall arrest will be the way to go. Remember the fall arrest distance when choosing the relevant equipment.

See our full range of height safety products available across the UK.

https://www.oakeyssafety.co.uk/product-category/height-safety/