Personal Fall Protection Systems

Under the Final Rule, employers may choose from the following fall protection options:

• Guardrail System - A barrier erected along an unprotected or exposed side, edge, or other area of a walking working surface to prevent workers from falling to a lower level.
• Safety Net System - A horizontal or semi-horizontal, cantilever-style barrier that uses a netting system to stop falling workers before they make contact with a lower level or obstruction.
• Personal Fall Arrest System - A system that stops a fall before the worker contacts a lower level. It consists of a body harness, an anchorage, and a connector; and may include a lanyard, a deceleration device, a lifeline, or a suitable combination of the three.
• Positioning System - A system of equipment and connectors that, when used with a body harness or body belt, allows a worker to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or window sill, and work with both hands free.
• Travel Restraint System - A combination of an anchorage, an anchorage connector, a lanyard, and body support to eliminate the possibility of a worker going over the unprotected edge or side of a walking-working surface.
• Ladder Safety System - A system attached to a fixed ladder and designed to eliminate or reduce the possibility of a worker falling off the ladder. A ladder safety system usually consists of a carrier, a safety sleeve, a lanyard, connectors, and a body harness.

To learn more about Walking Working Surfaces visit our Walking Working Surfaces & Personal Fall Protection Systems Online Training web page.