HSE New research due out in Aprill

HSE Project New research due out in AprilJN4192 - Investigation into the degradation of fall arrest equipment and the effect of suspension angle on safety harness performance Project number:OH89

JN4192 - Investigation into the degradation of fall arrest equipment and the effect of suspension angle on safety harness performance
Project number:OH89

Background Falls from height continues to be one of the major contributors to fatalities in the workplace - particularly in construction.

In 2007 45 workers died as a result of falls from a height and 3750 were seriously injured. The equipment for preventing a fall from height where preventative (e.g. hand rails) or collective measures (e.g. nets, beanbags) cannot be provided is using a fall arrest harness and energy-absorbing lanyard.

Fall arrest harnesses and lanyards are widely used in the construction industry, roof access work and tower and mast work. This equipment is intended to hold a person as they fall reducing the consequences of that fall and so it is vital that they retain the necessary strength to do this over their intended service life. The harnesses and lanyards are manufactured from woven webbings formed from man-made fibres, which are known to degrade under certain service conditions.

 Current HSE guidelines recommend that all harnesses and lanyards should be withdrawn from service and replaced after five years. However, fall arrest equipment that has been used in more hostile environments (e.g. subject to chemicals, heat and abrasion) may need to be inspected and replaced at more regular intervals. Phase 1 will improve HSE's knowledge of the strength losses which can occur during typical industrial use of harnesses and lanyards when exposed to various combinations of weathering, dust, sparks and contamination etc. It will allow HSE to gain a better understanding of equipment life expiry issues and enable HSE to ascertain whether current life expiry recommendations are appropriate and provide a sufficient safety margin.

This project will follow on from work carried out in 2001 by John Dutton (formerly of Metallurgy and Materials Section) on lanyards withdrawn from service. One of the recommendations of this report was that further work should be carried out to assess dynamic performance.

A report will be produced for the public domain/working at height community to promote better understanding of the importance of harness and lanyard care, inspection and life expiry issues. The research will provide information that will enable HSE to conduct more thorough forensic investigations following falls from height incidents. Phase 2 many manufacturers of harnesses have a 'one size fits all' approach to their products. However, previous research into suspension in harnesses has identified that one product does not fit all, and while comfortable for

Aims Phase 1: Degradation of fall arrest equipment 1.Obtain contacts in various industries: construction/scaffolding/chemical/quarries/cement works/industrial cleaning etc.

2.Obtain harnesses from industrial donors when removed from service at end of five year service life (at least 50 required). 3.Inspect harnesses for damage and photograph to catalogue any specific damage and to build up a database.

4.Develop an instrumented indoor 5 metre test facility for dynamic testing of harnesses and lanyards to BS EN 364 'Personal Protective Equipment against falls from a height - test methods'.

5.Test harnesses and lanyards to British Standard EN 364, recording the peak force generated during each test, and noting any failures and damage that occurs to the items. Photograph any significant damage or failures

6.Produce a research report, anonymised to protect the interests of the manufacturers of the products, to be issued in the public domain.

Phase 2 : Harness suspension angle

1.Purchase harnesses from a wide range of manufacturers.

2.Fit harnesses onto a 100 kg anthropomorphic dummy and smaller sized dummy (50th percentile if available) and suspend them from the attachment point(s). Measure the angle at which they are suspended using an inclinometer.

3.Photograph each test against a background to indicate position of dummy.

4.Analyse data

5.Produce a research report.
Contractor HSL
Start date 01/10/2008
End date 29/04/2011
HSE contribution £100800.00
Contact science@hse.gsi.gov.uk