Fall Protection Policy


United Tower Co., LLC has set aside the following policies in compliance with OSHA in regard to the work this company performs and the regulations that apply. Please read the carefully. It is your responsibility to understand and adhere to this policy.

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Personal Fall Protection:
Personal Fall arrest systems consists of anchors, connectors, a body belt or body harness, and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline or any combination of these.

Anchor: A separate secure point of attachment from any employee support lifeline attachment point.
When falling six feet, a person will exert up to ten times their body weight as shock load on the fall protection system. Attachment points must be capable of supporting at least 5000 pounds per employee attached tot he line or be designed as part of a complete engineered fall arrest system.

Connector: A device used to connect parts of the system.
This may be an independent component or an integral part of the system such as a buckle sewn into a body harness or a snaphook spliced or sewn into a lanyard.

Harness: An arrangement of straps fastened in order to support the torso during a fall.
The attachment ring must be in the back of the harness near the shoulders. All hardware, except rivets, must be able to withstand a load of 5000 pounds without cracking, breaking or taking a permanent deformation.
***Full Body harnesses are recommended instead of body belts.

Lanyard: A flexible line of rope, wire rope or strap with a connector usually at each end for connecting the body belt or harness to a deceleration device, lifeline or anchorage.
A lanyard can be no longer than six feet.

Self-retractable Lanyard: allows freedom of movement but protects the worker should a fall occur.
Webbing moves with the worker, pulling out when the person moves forward and retracting when the worker moves back. If a worker falls, the unit locks, restricting the fall distance to two feet or less.

Deceleration device: any mechanism which serves to dissipate a substantial amount of energy during a fall arrest.
Such as rope grabs, ripstitch lanyards, automatic self-retracting lifelines.

Lifelines: may be vertical or horizontal.
Vertical lifelines support only one person at a time. Horizontal lifelines subject to greater loads and require proper design and installation.

Positioning Device System: system of equipment or hardware when used with body belts or harnesses can support an employee in a work position.

ALL SYSTEMS MUST BE INSPECTED DAILY BEFORE EACH USE.
Inspect for mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration before each use. Know the method of use, intended functions and proper performance of equipment. Know how to put on, adjust and connect the equipment.

REPORT UNSAFE EQUIPMENT, CONDITIONS OR PROCEDURES