HORIZONTAL LIFELINES Presented by: Hettrick, Cyr & Associates, Inc.

1. HORIZONTAL LIFELINES Presented by: Hettrick, Cyr & Associates, Inc.

2. 1926.502(d)(8) • Horizontal Lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the direct supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two.

3. Definition of a Qualified Person Qualified Person: One who, by possession or a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, or experience, has successfully demonstrated his/her ability to solve, or resolve, problems related to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

4. What must the Qualified Person must know about the horizontal lifeline design? The End Load Calculations – it’s not as simple as finding two 5,000 pound anchors! The Fall Clearance – How far will the employee free fall Is the horizontal lifeline system compatible with the rest of of fall protection system

5. End Load Calculations • Horizontal lifeline must maintain a safety factor of two to 1 (2 to 1). Not 5,000 pounds and your done! • The end load calculations are based on several variables: • The angle of the lifeline • The stretch in the lifeline (wire rope vs. synthetic rope) • The # of people attached* (reference answer to question 1-d) • The free fall distance • Deflection of Lifeline

6. If it’s tight, it must be good, Right? • Wrong – You actually increase the end-load force applied to the anchor points when you over tighten the horizontal lifeline. • Fall Protection – Non Mandatory Appendix C – H (6) Horizontal lifelines may, depending on their geometry and angle of sag, be subjected to greater loads than the impact load imposed by an attached component. When the angle of horizontal lifeline sag is less than 30 degrees, the impact force imparted to the lifeline by an attached lanyard is greatly amplified. For example, with a sag angle of 15 degrees, the force amplification is about 2:1 and at 5 degrees sag, it is about 6:1. Depending on the angle of sag, and the line's elasticity, the strength of the horizontal lifeline and the anchorages to which it is attached should be increased a number of times over that of the lanyard.

7. Forces Applied to Anchors Worst Case Scenario - the free fall generates 1,800 pounds of force! - Qualified person must determine One person – Force to body not to exceed 1,800 pounds in six foot free fall 1,800 5 degrees of sag angle – amplification factor of 6:1 x6 10,800 Safety Factor of 2:1 x2 21,600 One person – Force to body not to exceed 1,800 pounds in six foot free fall 1,800 15 degrees of sag angle – amplification factor of 2:1 x2 3,600 Safety Factor of 2:1 x2 7,200 Other factors, such as deflection, system deceleration, and free fall distance may reduce end-load forces

8. How can I get incompliance with the OSHA Standards: • Three choices are available • Hire a Professional Engineer to design, and approve all horizontal lifeline systems • Have a representative from your organization complete an approved “Qualified Person Training Session for Fall Protection Systems” • Purchase a Pre-engineered Horizontal Lifeline System.

9. Day 1 Course outline, goals, grading, attendee background. Define Competent and Qualified Person Fall Protection Design Procedures Problem definition training Conceptual design training Detailed design Training Dynamics of Fall Arrest Review of the physics of fall arrest Fall arrest forces on the body Fall clearance requirements Fall Arrest Systems and Applications Examples of different systems Choosing the proper system Fall Arrest Anchorage Design Criteria Regulatory Requirements Loading Criteria Design Methods Day 2 Vertical Lifelines Basic Concepts Components Fall arrest action and energy equation Example calculation in VLL design Horizontal Lifelines Basic Concepts Components Fall arrest action and energy equation Total fall distance Design parameters Choosing and installing anchorages and HLL’s Forces transmitted to the structure Anchorage Analysis & Selection Identify suitable structures and anchorage details Analyzing trusses, beams, columns, and braces Group discussion Present and discuss an example fall hazard situation Design Procedure MSA– Qualified Person Training

10. Day 3 Introduction to the class exercise Presentation and discussion of problems and potential solutions Hands-on exercise in groups Qualified Person – Team Design Procedure System Selection Anchorage Design Oral presentations and discussion Design verification by physical testing Working with the structural engineer Open discussion Review of Class Goals Closure Cost for RCCS, LLC to host MSA Trainers: Cost for 15 Students = $10,788 Cost for Trainers travel expenses = $3,400 Total cost to host off-site training = $14,188 MSA (FP) – Qualified Person Training

11. Pro’s End load calculated System designed for specific # of employees Manufacturer determines HLL tension Manufacturer can provide training on installation and use Manufacturer’s instructions can be used in lieu of Qualified Person Pro’s, Can demonstrate system meets OSHA / ANSI regulations to General Contractors Can be much easier to install and relocate than PR 600 cart depending on anchorage point availability. Potentially more cost effective in long run Manufacturer available for future consultation The Benefits of a Pre-Engineered System

12. Letters of Interpretations • Question 1(a) - (c): When using horizontal lifelines as part of personal fall arrest systems, what type of wire rope clips does OSHA require, and how many clips must be used? Additionally, what are the horizontal spacing criteria for the uprights? AnswerSubpart M - Fall Protection, 29 CFR 1926.502, contains criteria requirements for fall protection systems. Horizontal lifelines may be used as part of a personal fall arrest system if provisions within §1926.502(d) are met. Section 1926.502(d)(8) requires that: Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two. Subpart M does not specify what type of wire rope clip or how many clips/clamps must be used when installing a horizontal lifeline. However, under §1926.502(d)(8), these decisions must be made under the supervision of a qualified person when the system is designed. The determination of the horizontal spacing criteria for uprights is also left to the qualified person's supervisory approval.1 In an August 28, 2000 letter to Mr. Troxell2, we addressed the related issue of using wire rope clips on a wire rope guardrail. In that letter, we cautioned that, as a practical matter, it is unlikely that the criteria requirements for guardrails under §1926.502(b) could be met unless the manufacturer's recommendations for the number of clips to be used on wire ropes of different diameters were followed (for example, the Crosby Group, Inc., general catalog 2000 edition, has tables showing their recommendations for their clips). We also pointed out that OSHA's standard for rigging equipment used for material handling, 29 CFR 1926.251, has a table showing the number of clips required for wire rope ½-inch and greater. We noted that although that standard does not apply to wire rope used for guardrails, when designing a rope system to meet the §1926.502 guardrail requirements, following the tables at §1926.251 will normally ensure that there will be enough clips. The forces exerted on a horizontal lifeline are substantially greater than those on a typical guardrail. Therefore, the system designer needs to ensure that the number, type, and location of clips will withstand the anticipated forces and meet the performance requirements in §1926.502 for horizontal lifelines.

13. Letters of Interpretations • Question 1(d): How many people may be attached to the same horizontal lifeline at the same time? • Answer: The standard does not set a limit on the number of people that may be simultaneously attached to the same horizontal lifeline. Under §1926.502(d)(8), the determination of how many people may be simultaneously attached depends on a variety of factors that a qualified person must consider when designing the system.3 • Note that Appendix C to Subpart M may also be helpful to the qualified person dealing with this situation. Section II (h)(6) states that: Extreme care should be taken in considering a horizontal lifeline for multiple tie-offs. The reason for this is that in multiple tie-offs to a horizontal lifeline, if one employee falls, the movement of the falling employee and the horizontal lifeline during arrest of the fall may cause other employees to fall also. Horizontal lifeline and anchorage strength should be increased for each additional employee to be tied-off. For these and other reasons, the design of systems using horizontal lifelines must only be done by qualified persons. • Although the possibility of one person falling may raise the risk of another person being pulled into a fall, it is not our position that the lifeline must necessarily be designed so that it can withstand a simultaneous fall by all the individuals tied-off to it. In assessing the total strength required for the lifeline, the qualified person must make a determination on the likelihood of simultaneous falls based on factors such as the type of walking/working surface the workers will be on, the length of their lanyards, and whether their work assignments call for them all to be near the edge at the same time.

14. Letters of Interpretations • Question 1(e): Are there any recommended anchor points for horizontal lifelines? AnswerAnchor points for a horizontal lifeline must be determined under the supervision of a qualified person under §1926.502(d)(8). Subpart M does not identify particular anchor points for horizontal lifelines. Appendix C, Section II (h)(1), provides some anchorage point considerations to be addressed when designing personal fall arrest systems.

15. Letters of Interpretations • Question 2: For a horizontal lifeline used as part of a personal fall arrest system during steel erection work, how tight should the lifeline be, and may synthetic rope be used for the horizontal lifeline? AnswerSubpart R - Steel Erection, 29 CFR 1926.760, addresses fall protection requirements in steel erection. Section 1926.760(d), criteria for fall protection equipment, incorporates into Subpart M §1926.502(b)-(e), fall protection systems criteria and practices. Section 1926.502(d)(8) requires that: Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two. Therefore, a qualified person is required to determine how tight the lifeline should be based on site-specific factors. No other requirements are imposed by OSHA regarding the tightness of the lifeline, so long as it comports with a safety factor of at least two. With regard to the use of synthetic ropes, §1926.502(d)(14) specifies that, when using non-wire rope, synthetic rope (rather than nature fiber rope) must be used: Ropes and straps (webbing) used in lanyards, lifelines, and strength components of body belts and body harnesses shall be made from synthetic fibers. Therefore, the standard permits the use of synthetic rope (instead of wire rope) for a horizontal lifeline.