How to Safely Descend from Elevation

While electricians typically do not work with belay devices or even climbing ropes, most electricians work at elevation and use something similar: a harness and lanyard. The air traffic concept is a good one to keep in mind. You want to avoid an unplanned (and fatal) landing. Part of doing this is to check your harness and lanyard before use. Here are some particulars.

Harness

• Is it large enough that it sits above your hip bones? If it’s below your hips, you can easily tip upside down and out of the harness if you fall.
• Does it have an age and usage record? Often in smaller shops, this information isn’t recorded. After many hard falls, the fabric will to start to separate. Many people believe that a short fall due to having only a 6-ft lanyard isn’t a hard fall. But if your waist is 6 ft above the attachment point, it’s a 12 ft fall. Mostly, the problem is the age of the harness. If it’s been in use more than five years, don’t use it.
• Does the attachment loop have visible wear? The metal hook of the lanyard will rub the fabric attachment loop. Some harness models now have a plastic reinforcement sewn into the loop. If the fabric is damaged, replace the harness.
• After you put it on, are you able to adjust it so it is secure? Leg straps don’t need to be tight, but the waist adjustment does need to be pretty snug.

Lanyard

• Is it a fall protection-rated lanyard? If so, the label on it will say something to that effect. It may even have a Newton-Meters number on it. Don’t use something that seems to work; it must have the strength to withstand the force of a fall.
• You’re sure it’s a fall protection lanyard and not a sling? A sling doesn’t stretch, while a lanyard does, which means a sling doesn’t absorb any of the energy from a fall, but a lanyard does.
• Does the gate on the hook close securely? If there is no gate, it’s not a fall protection lanyard. If the lanyard has been used for something other than fall protection (or if it’s been subjected to damage), this gate may not operate properly. In that case, it could come open during a fall and the sudden stop from 25 feet up won’t be pleasant.
• Is the lanyard carabiner of the older style with a hook at the nose end of the gate? This type can snag in a way that puts the force on the weakest point. Discard that lanyard and get another one.
• Does it have an age and usage record? The same criteria for harnesses applies to lanyards.
• Is there any evidence of fraying or wear on any part of the lanyard? If so, replace it.

Also check these after use for any evidence of damage. Even if you did not fall, you could have inadvertently snagged your fall PPE on something sharp.

Some notes on using lanyards:

• Never link two lanyards together or link a sling to a lanyard. One reason is the extra length means that much more energy at the end of a fall. Another is you’d be likely to connect them in a way that puts the force on the weakest part of one of them.
• Don’t move your harness higher than the attachment point.
• Look at the fall path before going up. Remove as many projections (things you might hit if you fell) as possible, or securely cover them with a shock-absorbent material, such as a crash pad taped in place.
• Before ascending the scaffolding or other means of reaching elevation, try to see the attachment point(s) from the ground. If there’s not a permanently mounted eye for this purpose, what do you have, and how will you attach to it?
• A qualified person can make an attachment point using slings and other devices. Don’t attempt this unless you know what you are doing, or you may trigger a “fatal error” message in the form of a short scream followed by loud thud.
• Don’t attach to pipes, ductwork, or raceway. If there is nothing suitable to attach to, then your fall protection system is useless here. If the solution of the previous point can’t be implemented, a solution will need to be engineered and installed.
• Visually check the gate each time you connect. Ensure it is properly closed.
• Ensure the gate is not the part bearing the load. That is, the gate should not rest against the attachment point; if it does, simply rotate the carabiner so the wide end (versus the narrow end is what’s in contact with the attachment point. If the rotation proves difficult, the narrow end will suffice — just not the gate.
• When moving between attachment points, don’t let your lanyard just dangle; it can get caught on something.
• Never kink a lanyard.
• Don’t allow a lanyard to be dragged over a sharp edge.
• Don’t allow a lanyard carabiner to rest on an edge. There’s no force rating for the device in this usage, and tests have shown they can be broken with very little force in this position.

Fall protection pointers

• Don’t use fall protection to rappel down. It’s an emergency “catch” system, not climbing gear.
• Never use an ad hoc solution to fall protection. Tying a rope around your waist might save you from hitting the ground, and it just might break your back as much as it breaks your fall. Straps used for crane and hoist loads may seem plenty strong, but they are intended for static use rather than the dynamic use (mass times distance) that a fall entails.
• Never repair a harness or lanyard. Your life is worth more than the cost of new equipment.
• Fall protection (like any other personal protection) is a last resort. So act accordingly when at elevation.

A final pro tip: Always watch where you are putting each foot. Watch your foot until it is in place and supporting your weight. Watching each foot this way is how, for example, you avoid stepping through a hole or dropping through a space created by a scaffolding board that tipped because it wasn’t properly secured. In a case like either of these situations, you may be dangling there a while until someone can figure out how to pull you back up.