FALL CLEARANCE CALCULATIONS & FALL FACTORS BY
This is the distance a person will fall when connected to a fall arrest attachment point. It is related to the Fall Factors (see Fall factor). Many situations can develop and it is ultimately the responsibility of the worker to ensure that there is a suitable fall clearance available. In order to calculate this, the worker must know the distances specified below, and it is also strongly recommended they attend a Karam safety at height training course.
The calculation below gives the minimum vertical clearance required between the anchorage point of the lanyard and the lower level.
Anchor
Length of lanyard + Fully activated energy absorber + Body height from feet to harness attachment + Additional safety clearance
Absorption
Examples : Calculations using the following length lanyards are as follows: • 2m lanyard: 2m (lanyard length) + 1.75m (energy absorber) + 2m (body height) + 1m safety = 6.75m • 1.5m lanyard: 1.5m (lanyard length) + 1.5m (energy absorber) + 2m (body height) + 1m safety = 6m
FALL FACTOR 2
FALL FACTOR 0
FALL FACTOR 1
Anchor point is at or below the feet of the worker allowing a fall equivalent to twice the length of the lanyard before the energy absorber deploys to arrest the fall.
Anchorage is overhead and the lanyard is taut between the anchorage point and the worker. The fall clearance is reduced as shown.
Anchor point is level or above the harness attachment point allowing a fall equivalent to the length of the lanyard before the energy absorber deploys to arrest the fall.
Length of the connector (lanyard)
Length of the connector (lanyard) Absorber elongation
Length of the connector (lanyard)
Absorber elongation
Height of the person
Height of the person
Height of the person
Ground and dangerous obstacle
Safety distance
Ground and dangerous obstacle
Safety distance
Safety distance
Ground and dangerous obstacle
IF IN DOUBT: FALL LIMITERS REDUCE FALL CLEARANCE < 3M
A fall limiter or self-retracting lifeline will stop a fall in centimetres and is therefore the ideal solution for low-level work where a shock-absorbing lanyard is unable to stop the worker from hitting an obstacle below.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) SALES DEPARTMENT
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