Fall Restraint Systems

While fall restraint systems are not mentioned in OSHA regulations, OSHA recognizes a fall restraint system as a form of fall prevention. The system, if properly used, tethers a worker in a manner that will not allow a fall of any distance. This system is comprised of a body belt or body harness, an anchorage, and connectors.

For a restraint system to work, the anchorage must be strong enough to prevent the worker from moving past the point where the system is fully extended. In addition, the restraint system must have an appropriate safety factor. (As defined in the Key Terms section, a safety factor is an engineering formula that expresses how much stronger a system is than it needs to be for an intended load.)

To learn more about Fall Protection visit our Construction Fall Protection Online Training web page.