FALL RESTRAINT AND FALL ARREST: THE PROS AND CONS

Fall Restraint

Work Restraint Systems are commonly the most ‘preferred’ option as they are often easier to use and completely prevent falling. They utilise a body-holding device – a lanyard – that is connected to a reliable anchor, that stops you from reaching high-fall-risk areas. For example, if you are secured to an anchor point on a roof with a 1.5m lanyard, the user should not be able to reach the edge of the roof. Should the user require to reach the edge, then Fall Arrest Equipment should be considered. It is unsafe to have a fall with a restraint lanyard, as there is no shock absorption.

Fall Arrest

These types of safety systems protect you after you have fallen, stopping the fall before you hit the surface below. By connecting a sturdy body-holding device to a secure anchor, this equipment arrests and restricts users during a fall, preventing you from colliding with the ground, and limiting impact on the body.

Fall Arresters should be considered when operating near fragile, breakable surfaces, narrow ledges, or buildings of unusual shapes. Basically, any environment where you fear a risk of a fall.

Used in combination with other pieces of Personal Protection Equipment, such as Safety Harnesses, Fall Arrest Equipment requires full training and, by law, you need to have a well-thought our rescue plan in place should a fall occur. This will enable any users that fall to be retrieved in the quickest and safest manner.

If you require any further information on Fall Arrest or Fall Restraint, whether that be suitable products or advice on training and law, our highly qualified Sales Team can provide you with the answers you need.