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23 March 2006 - HSE Cautionary Warning on
Misuse of Retractable Type Fall Arrestors
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A cautionary warning as to the dangers of misusing retractable
type fall arrest equipment has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE).
The warning comes, following HSE research findings from an
interim report being carried out for the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC's)
"Falls from Height Priority Programme".
The caution has been issued after the interim report revealed
the following findings:
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Retractable type fall arresters are commonly being misused in
circumstances they have not been tested for.
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The misuse is creating safety hazards and an increased risk of
fatality.
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There is an indication that some manufacturers and suppliers in
the UK are failing to provide adequate instructions and information to use the
products safely, adding to the problem.
David Thomas, Principal Specialist Inspector and HSE's technical
lead on fall protection issues, commented:
"All industry sectors are exposed to the risks presented by
falls from height and these findings underline the need for employers and
workers to ensure retractable type fall arresters are used in the correct way.
"They should be used only in the vertical plane with an
overhead anchor unless the manufacturer's instructions clearly state otherwise.
"If this equipment is used in any other way, or combined with
other components in a fall arrest system, it may be unsafe and could result in
injury or fatality."
Mr. Thomas, commenting on the testing of the fall arresters, also said HSE urges
caution over the following:
"The European Standard does not cover retractable type fall
arresters being tested for use over edges, which is sometimes how they are
used.
"In a fall over an edge the retractable lanyard may break,
the braking system might be overloaded to failure, or the fall might not be
arrested in the distance available.
"There is a test used by some manufacturers, known as the
VG11 test, but we have concerns over its intent and adequacy and will be
considering this over the next few months, once the research project is
completed.
"If there is any further advice we will issue it
immediately."
The BS 8437:2005, Code of practice for selection, use and maintenance for
personal fall protection systems and equipment for use in the workplace provides
further advice and can be accessed from the BSI-Global Website by clicking the
following:
BSI Global Website
Further information on falls from height can be accessed from
the HSE Webpage by clicking the following:
Falls from height
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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