Fall Arrest & Recovery

This step-by-step guide from the Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) makes it clear that fall arrest systems should be treated as a last resort in situations where working at height is absolutely necessary and falls cannot be outright prevented from occurring.

Before you decide on a fall protection setup, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Can I avoid working from height entirely? For example, could you use a telescopic brush to reach those tenth-floor windows instead of sending a worker up to them? If there's a reasonably practical way to get the job done without putting anyone at risk of falling from height, this is always preferable.
    
2. If work at height is unavoidable, are there measures I can take to prevent falls from occurring? Before you start thinking about fall arrest blocks, consider whether it's possible to prevent falls from happening in the first place. Collective measures that protect everyone (e.g. guardrails to keep people away from a roof edge) are generally preferable to personal protective measures (e.g. a safety harness attached to a restraint lanyard that will keep the wearer at a safe distance from hazardous areas).
    
3. If falls cannot be avoided, what can be done to minimise the distance and/or consequences? This is where a fall arrest and recovery system might be appropriate. Some work situations cannot help but pose a risk of falling from height, in which case a fall arrest block can be used to catch the worker mid-fall and keep them from hitting the ground. Mind you, a collective fall arrest system (e.g. soft landing bags) may be a better option depending on the situation.

If you're unsure whether to use fall arrest / rescue blocks or an alternative form of fall protection, feel free to contact Safety Harness Direct for advice. We're the height safety specialists, and our experienced team are capable of answering any questions you have regarding work at height.