Aerial Lifts Personal Fall Protection Equipment Terms

Before we cover the specific regulations governing the use of fall arrest systems when working on aerial boom lifts, let us review some related terminology:

• Anchorage - a secure point of attachment to be used with personal fall protection equipment
• Body belt - a body support that includes a strap with means for securing it about the waist; also referred to as a safety belt
• Connector - a component or element that is used to couple parts of the system together
• Energy (shock) absorber - a component whose primary function is to dissipate energy and limit deceleration forces that the system imposes on the body during fall arrest
• Full body harness - a body support designed to contain the torso and distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the upper thighs, pelvis, chest, and shoulders
• Lanyard - a component consisting of a flexible rope, wire rope, or strap, which typically has a connector at each end for connecting to the body support and to a fall arrester, energy absorber, anchorage connector, or anchorage
• Self-retracting lanyard - a device containing a drum-wound line that automatically locks at the onset of a fall to arrest the user, but that automatically pays out from and retracts onto the drum during normal movement of the person to whom the line is attached

To learn more about Aerial Lifts visit our OSHA Aerial Boom Lift Safety Online Training web page.