Fall Arrest - Fall Clearance

Fall Clearance

In arresting a fall in a controlled manner, the distance required to arrest the fall must be considered. Federal OSHA limits the fall distance to 6 feet unless the specific system is designed by a "qualified person" meeting the requirements of OSHA 29CFR1910.66 appendix c. The user also may not fall so as to strike protrusions or adjoining walls during the 6 ft fall.

The safe fall distance is a function of the fall factor and the deployment of the "energy absorbers". As a rule of thumb for a factor 2 fall, a fall distance of approx 6 metres will be required. This is equivalent to 2 stories of a building. If the fall clearance is less than this the worker may strike the ground before his fall is arrested.