John Newquist is a fall protection competent person who provides information on various fall protection topics. A 26-year-old tower climber fell from a tower when his personal fall protection equipment failed and he is expected to be in intensive care for 10 days. Various devices and systems are discussed that aim to provide fall protection for workers such as vertical lifelines, horizontal lifelines, travel restraint, and ladder climbing devices. Key changes to fall protection standards are also outlined.

1. Fall Protection Competent Person
John Newquist
johnanewquist@gmail.com
815-354-6853
Draft 11 19 2015
1
Leo Doppelt

2. Feb 2016
2
A 26-year-old tower climber is expected to be in intensive care for another
ten days after he fell from a guyed tower in Rosenberg, Tex. when his
personal fall protection equipment failed after he slipped from a brace on a
climbing face as he was descending after a day’s work on an LTE project
for AT&T.

3. May 2015
• Versa Clamp
brackets
eliminates
the need for
safety
monitors
• Photo Tim Crumb
3

4. February 2015
• Genie
• Allows a user to exit the
platform and work comfortably
around the outside of the
platform with a 6-ft lanyard. It
attaches to a 6- or 8-ft platform
on all Genie telescopic and
articulating boom lifts with lift
heights higher than 40 ft., with
the exception of the S-125HD
model.

5. JLG
5

6. Region 5 is seeing more non construction falls than
construction falls.
Ladders
27%
Roofs
21%
Same Surface
20%
Othe Elevaton
17%
Elevated Platform
15%
Top Fall Sources Region V 2010-2014
Ladders Roofs Same Surface Othe Elevaton Elevated Platform Nonmoving Vehicle
Skylights and
scaffolds not in
top five now.

7. Passive Fall Protection
• Clamp on
guardrails used for
bridge
• Congress Bridge in Chicago Jan
2015
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8. Travel Restraint
• 1000 lb anchorage
• Cannot free fall to
lower level
• ANSI Standard Z359
8

9. Door Jams
9

10. Horizontal Lifelines
• "The worker's safety
harness was not attached
at the time of the
accident at the south
Bibb County plant, he
said.
• Sometimes there is no
place to tie off.
Sometimes people
forget to tie off. Many
times the worker is not
provided a Y-lanyard to
go around a horizontal
lifeline system like
shown in the photo.
10

11. Roof Safe Distance
• A warning line is used 15 feet
or more from the edge;
• The warning line meets or
exceeds the requirements in
§1926.502(f)(2);
• No work or work-related
activity is to take place in the
area between the warning line
and the edge;
• The employer effectively
implements a work rule
prohibiting the employees from
going past the warning line.
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.s
how_document?p_table=INTERPRETATION
S&p_id=24682
11

12. Cell Towers
• No Free Climbing.
• Wear fall arrest
designed for the access.
12

13. Orthostatic Intolerance
13

14. Suspension Trauma
• The lower limbs are in a
suspended vertical position,
increasing pressure on the
femoral vein and nerve and
exacerbating the gravitational
pull on lower extremity blood
flow.
• The femoral artery inside groin
down leg
14

15. Step wise ladders
• Allow to stand in a
rope style ladder.
15

16. Nov 2013
16

17. Key Changes in Z359.1
• Section 3.2.1.4
• Gate face strength
requirements have
changed from 220 lbs.
(1kN) (old Standard)
to 3,600 lbs. (16kN)
(new Standard).
17

18. Key Changes
• Side of gate strength
requirements have
changed from 350
lbs. (1.55kN) (old
Standard) to 3,600
lbs. (16kN) (new
Standard).
18

19. Key Changes
• Minor axis strength
of non-captive eye
snap hooks or
carabiners must be
3,600 lbs. (16kN).
19

20. Fabric Lanyards
• Cannot be used on
sharp edges
• ANSI Z359

21. Travel Restraint
• 1000 lbs anchorage
• Cannot free fall to
lower level
• Travel restraint
systems are only
permitted on a
walking/working
surface with a slope of
between 0 and 18.4
degrees.
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22. March 2014
22

23. Roof Anchorages
• Two lives saved
through roofs
• One skylight
• Another through a bad
roof.
23

24. Scissor Lifts
• Workers must be
trained (8 hour PALS
card)
• Full guardrails needed
• Inspect area for holes
that could flip the lift
• Ensure proper lighting
• Know wind limitations
End chain is missing
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25. Liftpods
25

26. Liftpods
• Safer than a ladder.
• One Person
• 19-40 feet depending
on model
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27. Ladder Climbing Devices
• April 2014
• Cell tower
27

28. Ladder Climbing Device
• September 2014
• Cell Tower
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29. Insects
• Wasp
nest
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30. Wind
• High winds are defined in
1926.958
• High wind. A wind of such velocity
that one or more of the following
hazards would be present:
• (1) The wind could blow an
employee from an elevated
location,
• (2) The wind could cause an
employee or equipment handling
material to lose control of the
material, or
• (3) The wind would expose an
employee to other hazards not
controlled by the standard
involved.
• Note to the definition of “high
wind”:
• The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration normally
considers winds exceeding 64.4
kilometers per hour (40 miles
per hour), or 48.3 kilometers
per hour (30 miles per hour) if
the work involves material
handling, as meeting this
criteria, unless the employer
takes precautions to protect
employees from the hazardous
effects of the wind. 30