Washington State University
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Fall Protection Equipment

Employees and students are to use fall protection equipment and supervisors are to complete a written Fall Protection Work Plan whenever:

• Personnel are to work ten feet or more above the ground, water surface, or level below, and


• There is no pre-existing guard rail or wire rope railing. (WAC 296-155-24505)

Supervisors complete a Fall Protection Work Plan form whenever fall protection is required.

Photocopy the master form in the PDF version of S30.60.4-5 to obtain blank copies of the Fall Protection Work Plan form.

Retain the completed form in the departmental safety file. Post a copy of the completed form on the job site. The completed form is subject to review by personnel from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety and the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries.

Route a copy of the completed form to Environmental Health and Safety, campus mail code 1172.

Supervisors and/or faculty are responsible for ensuring that involved personnel are trained in the installation and use of fall protection equipment.

Supervisors and/or faculty are responsible for ensuring that involved personnel properly use appropriate fall protection equipment.

Any University faculty member, administrator, manager, supervisor, or other employee not adhering to University safety procedures described in this section is subject to applicable disciplinary action.

Either a safety net or an individual protective system may be used.

Use an approved safety net if working ten feet or more above the ground, water surface, or level below, and if the use of safety harnesses and lifelines or more conventional types of protection are clearly impractical.

Provide a safety net wherever workers are permitted to be underneath a work area not otherwise protected from falling objects.

Contact Environmental Health and Safety for specific safety net requirements.

An individual protective system must include the following:

• A safety belt or harness,
• A lanyard,
• A lifeline, a dropline, or a catenary lifeline, and
• A fixed anchorage.

Fall arrest systems or mobile lifeline climbing systems (see below) may be used in conjunction with an individual protective system. These elements may provide additional latitude or flexibility.

A device, usually worn around the waist, which, by reason of its attachment to a lanyard and lifeline or a structure, will restrain a worker from falling. Safety belts are only to be used as a restraint. If actual falls may be encountered, then a full body harness must be worn.

A device that encompasses the entire trunk area. A harness must be used in lieu of a safety belt if actual falls may occur. A harness provides a greater sense of security and balance and lowers the chance of injury if a fall does occur. A harness must meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) class 3 requirements.

A rope, suitable for supporting one person. One end is fastened to a safety belt or harness and the other end is secured to a substantial object or a safety line. Lanyards are to be a minimum of one-half inch nylon or equivalent and a maximum of six feet long. This rope must have a nominal breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.

A rope, suitable for supporting one person, to which a lanyard or safety belt (or harness) is attached. This rope must have a nominal breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.

A vertical rope from a fixed anchorage, independent of the work surface, to which the lanyard is secured. A dropline must be capable of supporting 5,000 pounds per person attached at midpoint in the line.

A horizontal rope between two fixed anchorages, independent of the work surface, to which the lanyard is attached. A catenary line must be capable of supporting 5,000 pounds per person attached at midpoint in the line.

A secure point of attachment, not a part of the work surface, for droplines, lifelines, catenaray life lines, or lanyards. The fixed anchorage must be able to support a minimum dead weight of 5,000 pounds. Contact Facilities Operations to determine appropriate anchorage points.

A cable on a drum in a housing that allows for mobility while arresting the rapid descent of a falling individual or equipment. Safety blocks utilize an automatic rewind system to eliminate any slack in the cable which could prove hazardous.

A device that clamps down on a fixed nylon rope or steel cable when a climber falls. The climber is able to move freely up or down the structure as needed. It can be used where a fixed fall arrest device would not be practical.

All harness and lanyard hardware assemblies are to be capable of withstanding a tensile loading of 4,000 pounds without cracking, breaking, or permanent deformation, and are to conform to the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10.14-1975 (WAC 296-155-24510). Each piece of equipment is to be certified as meeting these standards. Check the equipment's product information sheet or attached tag to verify certification. (Common rock climbing equipment is not certified by ANSI.)

Before use, visually inspect each piece of fall protection equipment for wear, deterioration, fraying, cracking, or exposure to chemicals. Immediately remove from service any piece of equipment which has been used to stop a fall. Equipment which has been tested under a static load (constant and steady) may be used.

Each six months fall protection equipment is to be tested in accordance with manufacturers' standards.

WAC 296-155-245
WAC 296-869
WAC 296-305
NSC Data Sheet I-608
ANSI Standard A10.14
OSHA 1910.66