Fallacy of Fall Protection From Manually Rigged Horizontal Lines

Over the past several years, we have seen many a "jury rigged" fall protection "system" on the roof tops of buildings. By this we mean a chaotic assembly of hand-tied ropes and / or cables, attached to roof vents, plumbing, HVAC equipment stands, conduits or other 'structures', thus spreading the 'load' of the suspended worker(s) and their powered platforms or boatswain chairs, or the load of a worker falling from an unprotected roof edge or walking / working surface.

FIGURE:1
Effect of a rigged horizontal line being used to suspend a 1,250 lb. working load, when the sag is only 1.2" and the line is 20' in length; the load in the line is 41,663 lbs. !!! Sag must be sufficiently increased so the load in the line is less than 5,000 lbs.


Problem #1
Ropes are

ANSI / IWCA 1-14.1 Important Lifesaving Standard Guidelines

CERTAIN OSHA CONCENSUS STANDARD CODES FROM IWCA/ANSI I-14.1-2001
Below are excerpts from the I-14.1 explaining certain codes that must be followed in the window cleaning industry, which includes the workers, the window cleaning companies, the building management companies that hire them, and the building owners ...

Regulations for Fall Protection and Prevention at Extreme Heights

In window cleaning and other suspended work industries, there are specific regulations for work at certain heights. The breakpoints are at 130’ and 300’. Read on for additional info ...