Article and photos by Gregory Havel
Many modern buildings have permanent anchorages installed on their roofs to meet the fall protection standards for employees as stated in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) 29 CFR 1926.500-503 and Appendices.
These permanent fall protection anchorages may be welded or bolted to the structural steel or bar joists at locations selected by the structural engineer (photo 1) or fastened through the steel roof deck with screws or bolts (photo 2), using the number and size of fasteners required in the design by the structural engineer. Their strength depends on whether they were installed as designed and whether they have been properly maintained.
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According to OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926.502 (d)(15), an anchorage for fall protection equipment must be “capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds of dynamic load (22.2 kN) per employee attached.” This standard uses 310 pounds (140 kg) as the combined weight of the person, clothing, and tools. The connectors, fall protection harnesses, lanyards, lifelines, and other attachments to an anchorage must also be designed to support at least a 5,000-pound dynamic load, the result of 310 pounds free-falling six feet (1.83 m) with a safety factor (29 CFR 1926.502 (d)(3), (9), (15)). As a result of this requirement, these anchorages are usually designed and installed using 5,000 pounds dynamic load per anchorage for each person.
These anchorages are designed for lifelines and ropes to be attached by locking snap-hooks or locking carabiners. They are not designed for direct attachment of ropes or lifelines.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1983—2006
Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services, has requirements similar to OSHA’s for connectors and harnesses for emergency services technical rescue, but does not specifically address the requirements for anchorages. In addition, the NFPA 1983 requirements are based on static loads rather than on the dynamic loads required under OSHA’s fall-protection standard, which require greater strength.
If we are comfortable with the condition of the fall-protection anchorages provided and with their proper installation, we can use them for high-angle rescue or other rigging if we wish. However, if we are not comfortable with one anchorage supporting one person, we must build in an additional safety factor by rigging to multiple fall protection anchorages if we choose to use them. This decision may be made based on guidance from policies, procedures, and preincident plans; but will be made at each incident by the rescue team and team leader based on these guidelines plus training, experience, and the needs of the incident.
According to the OSHA standards, if the combined person and tool weight is anticipated to exceed 310 pounds, the fall protection anchorage must be designed to be stronger. This issue is complicated, since fall protection harnesses manufactured to OSHA standards are also rated for a maximum weight of 310 pounds (140 kg) of combined weight of person, clothing, and tools. A person in winter work clothing with a tool belt and a combined weight exceeding 310 pounds may fit into a standard fall protection harness but may be injured by it in a fall.
The issue is further complicated by differences in the rating systems used in the OSHA standards and in NFPA 1983—2006 Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services. NFPA Class I and Class II harnesses (NFPA 1983—2006 6.3.1.1 and 6.3.1.2), rated for a maximum of one 300-pound person, are not compliant with the OSHA standards for fall protection, since they are not full-body harnesses. The NFPA Class III harness (NFPA 1983—2006 6.3.1.3) is a full-body harness and would be acceptable under the OSHA standards if the second person was also equipped with his/her own full-body harness.
Materials-handling slings are sometimes used as part of the rigging for high-angle or technical rescue. Each chain, webbing, or wire rope (photo 3) sling has a permanently attached tag (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251) that shows its safe load capacity in different configurations for materials handling. According to 29 CFR 1926.550 (g)(4)(iv)(C), which discusses rigging for the support of personnel and work platforms and which requires greater safety factors than for materials handling: “Wire rope, shackles, rings, master links, and other rigging hardware must be capable of supporting, without failure, at least five times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to that component.” This suggests that the rating of a sling for material handling should be divided by five if it is to be used as part of the rigging for technical rescue.
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Since the decision to use fall-protection anchorages for technical rescue is complex, we must develop standards-based operational policies, procedures, and generic preincident plans to guide us in their use; and we must train and respond to incidents according to our procedures and plans.
Gregory Havel is a member of the Burlington (WI) Fire Department; a retired deputy chief and training officer; and a 30-year veteran of the fire service. He is a Wisconsin-certified fire instructor II and fire officer II, an adjunct instructor in fire service programs at Gateway Technical College, and safety director for Scherrer Construction Co., Inc. Havel has a bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College; has more than 30 years of experience in facilities management and building construction; and has presented classes at FDIC.
Subjects: Building construction for firefighters
