With approximately 100 installers on its field operations team working at heights varying from 10 to 50 feet, Memphis, Tenn.-based Sunbelt Rentals® Temporary Structures has a lot of employees at risk of falling. And given that the company averages 50 installs per month, with the most commonly deployed structure putting workers 25–50 feet off the ground for extended periods of time, there are plenty of opportunities to fall. Little wonder then that personal protection equipment (PPE) and personal fall protection equipment (PFPE) figure so prominently in the company’s approach to safety.
“Our goal is preventing incidents,” says Liz Wilson, construction operations manager. “In real life, this looks like training before sending someone to walk on top of a tent. [We] talk about hazards and tasks daily, use walkie-talkies when operating multiple machines, discuss drop zones and overhead work, and ensure new team members are identified to the group and have a buddy that helps them stay safe.”
But fall protection is a huge focus as well, and this is where PFPE is an important line of defense. At one time, the company used a fall restraint system. Now it relies on a fall arrest system—one incorporating a self-retracting lanyard connected to the back of a harness that adjusts from an anchor point. If it detects a fall, it will stop extending within 2 feet.
“Fall restraint uses a lanyard with a fixed length and is designed for roofers to prevent a fall by limiting working distance. For these types of systems, it’s essential to monitor working heights and ensure it’s not too long for the application,” she explains.
“But as we evolved, we found our working height varied so much, we couldn’t have guaranteed fall distance clearance,” Wilson continues. “The fall arrest system shortens this fall distance significantly, and our crew can be nimbler as they install structures.”
Fall restraint systems can be appropriate if the working height doesn’t vary much and is at least 18.5 feet off the ground, she adds. Otherwise, Wilson prefers using a fall arrest system.
As for the harnesses, ensuring proper fit around the chest and legs is the “most common correction” Wilson sees. Too loose and injury can occur over and above the fall’s impact. Writing on the webbing is another issue, she adds. Donning, handling, inspection and care are all addressed in the company’s safety program.
“We started with compliance and worked to grow this into a culture,” Wilson says of the program. “Once the expectation is set, leaders are held accountable and tolerance is low. It becomes routine. It’s undeniable that taking the extra steps in the tasks for an installer can be bumpy at first, but it gets easier.”
Ditch these behaviors
Terrell J. Colvin is a safety inspector with the Safety, Health, Environmental Services (SHES) group. A program of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Enterprise Innovation Institute, SHES administers Georgia’s OSHA On-Site Consultation Program, working directly with small- and medium-sized businesses, providing no-cost, confidential safety and health consulting services.
Harness safety requires a thorough inspection process and ensuring the right fit, says Colvin. Before each use, harnesses should be examined for any signs of wear, damage or deterioration to the webbing. Ditto for the stitching and hardware, including D-rings and buckles, which should be intact and free from deformation and corrosion. A more detailed review should be periodically undertaken to confirm compliance with relevant standards and manufacturer recommendations.
Checking the fit before starting work is often overlooked, says Colvin.
“Users should ensure the harness fits correctly and is adjusted so that straps are snug and evenly positioned. The dorsal D-ring should sit between the shoulder blades, and all connections must be fully secure,” says Colvin. “It is also important to confirm that the anchorage point and overall system are appropriate for the task, including ensuring the setup will limit fall distance and prevent contact with a lower level.”
There are other behaviors that can compromise harness safety, such as placing them on the ground, which exposes them to dirt, moisture, chemicals and other physical damage, says Ritchie K. Lafaille, safety consultant for SHES.
“Likewise, writing names or marking directly on the webbing can degrade the material and diminish its load-bearing capacity,” he explains. “Identification should never involve marking the webbing; instead, use manufacturer-approved tags or labels.
“Equipment sharing without proper adjustment is another concern as it can result in poor fit and reduced effectiveness,” Lafaille continues. “To address these risks, organizations should establish and enforce clear best practices. Consistent application of these practices not only helps extend equipment lifespan and ensure compliance, most importantly, it protects workers from serious injury or fatality.”
Growing awareness
It’s not just falls from heights that can injure workers; some of the most everyday hazards are slips and trips over tent parts and other materials lying about during installs, says Sean Willich, safety training manager for the American Rental Association. As such, in addition to PFPE, equipment such as harnesses and lanyards, other types of PPE—think hard hats, safety glasses/goggles, protective footwear and gloves, high-visibility vests, etc.—are important for site safety.
Awareness of the role PPE plays is growing, says Willich, who describes their use as having “massively increased,” especially as tents have become larger and more complicated. This evolution has required heavier machinery such as boom and scissor lifts to install the structures, also leading to greater reliance on PFPE. Still, some confusion persists around what type of fall protection is appropriate for what situations, he adds.
“An example of this is when someone has a 6-foot lanyard and they are less than 17.5 feet off the ground,” Willich explains. “In this example, the lanyard would not provide adequate protection assuming 6 feet of lanyard, 4 feet of deceleration, 6 feet for the worker’s height and 1.5 feet of safety factor.”
This illustrates the importance of selecting the right PPE/PFPE for the job. To this end, employers should establish comprehensive and effective policies and guidelines, taking a zero-tolerance stance around noncompliance. Train employees on these SOPs immediately upon hiring, says Willich, then review them at least annually or after an accident or near miss related to a specific policy or procedure.
“PPE plays a vital role not only in protecting workers at height, but in safeguarding those at ground level from struck-by hazards,” Lafaille says. “Dropped objects range from small tools to larger equipment. They can cause serious injury or death even from relatively low elevations. While preventative measures such as tool tethering and control work zones are essential, PPE serves as the final layer of protection when those controls fail.”
‘Critical measures’
Storing PFPE in a protected, dry, clean and designated area will extend lifespan and keep it on the job longer, reducing costs. But think twice about reusing if this equipment has been triggered by a fall. In these cases, Colvin advises proceeding with caution. The immediate response should be removal until it can be inspected and evaluated by a “competent person,” who can determine if continued use is appropriate, he says.
Not every component will withstand such an event. Certain ones—such as energy-absorbing/shock-absorbing devices such as lanyards that are activated by a fall—are no longer sound and must be replaced, Colvin explains. Other elements, such as harnesses, may be worn again, but only after careful scrutiny determines the item can still comply to manufacturer specifications.
“If there is any indication of damage, deformation or compromised integrity, the equipment must be permanently removed from service,” Colvin says. “Taking a conservative approach following a fall is essential to maintaining the reliability of the system and ensuring continued protection for workers.”
Other “critical measures” Colvin says can prevent jobsite mishaps include:
Designating controlled access/drop zones. “Personnel at ground level must remain aware of overhead work and adhere to designated restricted areas,” Colvin says.
Securing and tethering tools/implementing overhead protection. “Workers at height must ensure that materials and equipment are properly secured at all times,” he says.
Clear communication and signage that facilitates overall site awareness. “Without clearly defined boundaries and communication, individuals at ground level may be exposed to overhead hazards without full awareness of the associated risks,” Colvin says. “When these practices are consistently applied, the risk to all individuals on-site is significantly reduced.”
Try to reduce the amount of time people spend working at height, says Lafaille, who suggests strategies such as ground-assembly methods or using equipment such as podium ladders or mobile platforms rather than extension ladders whenever possible. Establishing a “clear setup sequence” and confirming the structure is stable before anyone climbs on it will mitigate risk as well, he adds.
Lafaille says it can also be helpful to watch crews during installs to identify where they may be taking shortcuts that could undermine safety.
“Paying attention to things like near misses, ladder misuse or skipped hazard assessments can give you early warning signs before someone gets hurt,” he explains. “Make sure the equipment you provide actually works for the job and gets used consistently, and that rescue plans aren’t just written down but practiced. The goal is to have safety measures that fit the pace of event work, something crews will follow, not work around.”
Pamela Mills-Senn is a freelance writer based in Seal Beach, Calif.
Absent proper anchoring, even the best personal fall protection equipment may fail when it’s needed the most. But determining the right anchor points can prove challenging, especially when parameters such as load capacity and structural integrity aren’t always clear, says Terrell J. Colvin, safety consultant for the Safety, Health, Environmental Services (SHES) located on the Georgia Tech campus.
“This is often the case on scaffolding, roofing systems, partially completed structures and other temporary installations where designated anchorage may be limited or not specifically intended for fall protection. In these environments, it is critical to ensure that any selected anchor point is structurally sound and capable of supporting the forces generated during a fall,” he says, adding that location matters as well. For example, anchorage points above or at where the person is working can minimize both free-fall distance and swing hazards.
Liz Wilson, construction operations manager for the Memphis, Tenn., branch of Sunbelt Rentals® Inc. Temporary Structures, says that for work requiring crews to be on top of a structure rather than on a manlift, they’ll use a lifeline. This is connected to the fall protection system and anchored to the structure’s baseplate. When working on a mobile elevated work platform, the team member will use fall protection, anchoring this to a point inside the machine.
The anchor point minimum is 5,000 pounds per person, accounting not just for the worker’s weight but the force of the fall, she explains. The “minimal vertical distance for falls is 18.5 feet,” a calculation that considers lanyard length, shock absorber, worker height and safety factor.
“I’m grateful to report that I haven’t had a team member who has had fall protection activated,” Wilson says. “However, we have had people slip while working on top of tents. They were incredibly grateful to have the assurance that if they did not regain their footing, there was a backup plan.”
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