Fall Protection

You should always consider the use of personal fall protection equipment to prevent or minimise the consequences of a fall when collective preventive measures, eg scaffolds and cherry pickers, are not practical. Personal fall protection equipment that prevents a fall, eg a work restraint system, should alwaystake priority over personal equipment which only limits the height and/or consequences of a fall, eg a fall arrest system.

You should select equipment that:

  • is suitable for the particular circumstances of the task, eg a restraint system
  • can be used for the particular task within its design limits, eg there is an adequate clearance distance when using fall arrest equipment;
  • Meets the standard relevant to its intended use, eg BS EN 361 for a full body harness;
  • Has compatible components so the safe function of any one component is not adversely affected.

You will need to make sure that people using the equipment:

  • Are competent to check their equipment for defects and do this before every use;
  • Are suitably trained and assessed for competency in the use of their personal fall protection systems and equipment for the particular application;
  • Have read and understood the product information before using the equipment;
  • Have checked that the components in the system are compatible.

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