Designating safe anchorage points is a critical step in providing fall protection solutions. During this webinar, we will review the key types of anchorages, design loads and variables to consider when selecting fall protection anchorage points.

1. SELECTING ANCHORAGE POINTS
LJB WEBINAR SERIES: MAY 2013
THOM KRAMER, P.E., C.S.P. – LJB INC.
(937) 259-5120; TKRAMER@LJBINC.COM

2. BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
Just because your anchorage won’t fail doesn’t mean it is
safe.
Our focus on what people tie off to needs to catch up with
our focus on getting workers to tie off.

3. ACTION PLAN
1. Use the worksheet to evaluate 5-10 anchorages that you
know are used in your organization
• Temporary and permanent
2. Identify 2-3 systems where you can use the worksheet to
plan systems

4. Anchorage
Worksheet

5. ADEQUATE ANCHORAGE?

6. ADEQUATE ANCHORAGE?

7. ADEQUATE ANCHORAGE?

8. AGENDA
Anchorages 101
Selection criteria
Exercise
Closing

9. ANCHORAGE TYPES
Fall arrest Work positioning Travel restraint
Horizontal lifeline Rescue

10. ANSI DEFINITIONS
Designed by a
Qualified
Person
Must be used
for HLL
Certified
Designated by
a Competent
Person
Unquestionably
strong
elements
Non-
Certified

11. CERTIFIED ANCHORAGES
Fall
Arrest
Work
Positioning
Travel
Restraint
Horizontal
Lifeline
Rescue
2 x MAF
2 x
foreseeable
force
2 x
foreseeable
force
2 x cable
tension
5 x
applied
load
Designed by a qualified person

12. NON-CERTIFIED ANCHORAGES
Fall
Arrest
Work
Positioning
Travel
Restraint
Horizontal
Lifeline
Rescue
5,000
lbs.
3,000 lbs. 1,000 lbs. N/A 3,000 lbs.
Designated by a competent person

13. ANSI I-14.1 ANCHORAGE DESIGN LOADS
PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEM:
5,000 pounds per employee attached
Designed, installed and used as part of a complete
PFAS which maintains a safety factor of at least 2
EQUIPMENT TIEBACK:
Capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds

14. AGENDA
Anchorages 101
Selection criteria
Exercise
Closing

15. CONSIDERATIONS
Hierarchy of control
＞ Is there another way?
Structural capacity
Fall clearance
Number of users
Environmental conditions

16. ANCHORAGE STRENGTH

17. ANCHORAGE DESIGN/SELECTION
Unquestionably
Strong
Everything in
between
Clearly
Inadequate

18. ANCHORAGE DESIGN/SELECTION
Unquestionably strong?

19. VARIABLES TO CONSIDER
Span and size of member
Material(s)
Additional loads
Supports
Deterioration and corrosion
Anchorage location and spacing
＞ Above dorsal D-ring

20. STRUCTURE OF ANCHORAGE
Existing members of a
building structure are
often used as
anchorages
Existing members
usually support existing
loads
＞ Beam
＞ Purlin
＞ Truss

21. STRUCTURE OF ANCHORAGE
Addition of a fall arrest load may constitute a change
in use
Many jurisdictions require individuals to be
professional engineers who design and evaluate
physical structures

22. DESIGN LOADS
Permanent loads
＞ Roofing
＞ Piping
＞ Mechanical equipment
Transient (temporary) loads
＞ Occupancy
＞ Storage
＞ Wind
＞ Snow

23. DESIGN LOADS
Conditional use
＞ Incorporates an administrative control that allows certain
members to be used as an anchorage under specific
conditions
＞ Applies to transient loads
＞ Combines two methods identified within the fall protection
hierarchy – fall arrest and administrative controls
＞ Existing building members used as conditional use
anchorages must be strictly controlled by a qualified person

24. SAFE ATTACHMENT LOCATIONS
Analysis may show that parts or all or none of the
beam may be used for anchorage
Requires strict control by a qualified person
Beams
3 Foot Max. Safe Zone

25. SAFE ATTACHMENT LOCATIONS
Panel points – the intersection of horizontal, vertical and
diagonal members (analysis required)
Individual members are usually not adequate
Trusses

26. FALL CLEARANCE
Rules of thumb
＞ Energy-absorbing lanyard – 13’
＞ Self-retracting lanyard – 7’
＞ Greater if determining
anchorage height

27. SWING FALL
Anchorage needs to be
maintained overhead
＞ Within 15º of vertical

28. NUMBER OF USERS
Anchorage designed to support specific load
Load for a certified system is determined by the
qualified person
Based on number of users and maximum arresting
force of energy-absorbing lanyard

29. NUMBER OF USERS
Procedures should include:
＞ Maximum number of permitted simultaneous users
＞ Maximum user weight
＞ Maximum arrest force of energy-absorbing lanyard
Location of anchorage directly affects fall clearance
requirements
Clearances are calculated by qualified person

30. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
May affect longevity of permanently installed
equipment
Components installed in these conditions should be
fabricated from non-corrosive materials
Steelwork fabrications can be painted or galvanized

31. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
Severe environmental conditions may warrant use of
stainless steel
Take precautions to avoid bi-metallic corrosion which
occurs when dissimilar metals are placed in contact
with each other

32. INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
Consider anchorage connector location and framing of
supporting anchorage before installing
Consider fall protection for the person installing the
system

33. AGENDA
Anchorages 101
Selection criteria
Exercise
Closing

34. EXERCISES
Select new anchorage with existing structure
Select anchorage for new structure (PtD)

35. EXERCISE: EXISTING STRUCTURE

36. Anchorage
Worksheet

37. EXERCISE: NEW STRUCTURE

38. Anchorage
Worksheet

39. USE YOUR RESOURCES

40. ACTION PLAN
1. Use the worksheet to evaluate 5-10 anchorages that you
know are used in your organization
• Temporary and permanent
2. Identify 2-3 systems where you can use the worksheet to
plan systems

41. SELECTING ANCHORAGE POINTS
LJB WEBINAR SERIES: MAY 2013
THOM KRAMER, P.E., C.S.P. – LJB INC.
(937) 259-5120; TKRAMER@LJBINC.COM