All about fall protection equipment

 A comprehensive fall protection setup prevents injuries to the workforce and significantly improves the safety component of the arena. Entertainment rigging experts study the hall carefully and deploy controls to avert falling or stop a fall without causing injury. 

Types of fall protection 

Typically, fall protection is used in work-at-height situations, but it can also be used when working near the edge of a balcony, near a pit, or steep slopes. Depending on the requirements, more than one type of fall protection may be utilized, including the following. 

1. Fall elimination involves finding ways to avoid working at height, eliminating the possibility of a fall altogether. 

2. Fall prevention involves using specially designed controls like barricades and guard rails to prevent the studio rigging personnel from falling. 

3. Fall arrest involves using lashes or safety nets to arrest a person's fall without causing them severe injuries. 

4. Administrative control involves placing directives like safety policies, signs, and observers that work in addition to the other fall protection methods. 

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Depending on the type of fall protection being implemented, fall protection equipment can be of the following categories. 

Fall protection equipment 

Fall protection equipment can be primarily divided into the following categories. 

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• Anchors 

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Anchors are the locking points where the fall arrest systems are secured. There are several types of anchors available, and the style you need depends on the conditions. The most common types of anchors include roof anchors, D-rings, tie-off straps, chokers, etc. That said, the anchors of choice must be able to withstand the force exerted on them in the event of a fall.  

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• Harness 

As the name suggests, harnesses are tied to the body to distribute the arresting forces equally to the waist and upper thighs. Full-body harnesses are extremely useful in stopping the fall in the event of one without causing injury to the worker. Body supports are sometimes also used as suspension belts to perform studio rigging while hanging. 

• Connectors 

Connectors refer to the device that connects the full-body harness to the anchor. These are most commonly used in high fall-hazard areas and include rope lanyards, web lanyards, cable lanyards, and retractable lifelines. That said, connectors used in a work-at-height situation must be small enough to prevent the operator from falling to the ground. 

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• Rescue devices 

In case of emergencies, descent and rescue devices allow workers to escape a dangerous situation quickly. The type of rescue device that you use will massively depend on the specific conditions. Most commonly used rescue devices include the likes of suspension straps, safety nets, tripods, Rollgliss descent devices, etc. 

Since falls are among the most common causes of workplace injuries, setting up fall protection controls in accordance with the state safety standards is crucial to prevent hazardous situations. While the equipment mentioned above can play a massive role in reducing injuries, the entertainment rigging personnel must also proceed with caution when working in dangerous situations or operating heavy equipment.