Fall Arrest Systems

Types of fall arrest systems

A complete set-up needs two things: a personal kit worn by the worker, and an anchor or block from the rest of the range for that kit to connect to.

Fall arrest kits

A full body harness and a shock-absorbing lanyard come together in one bag, ready to connect to a rated anchor. The 2 point scaffold fall arrest kit suits scaffolding, fixed ladders and lattice steel structures. For general building work, the construction fall arrest kit carries both a single and a double lanyard. Spare screw locking karabiners join lanyards to anchors, and single items are sold in the harnesses and lanyards range.

Fall restraint kits

A restraint or work positioning lanyard takes the place of the shock absorber in these kits. The 1 point restraint kit is the straightforward choice for flat roofs and elevated platforms with a single anchor. The 2 point restraint kit has an adjustable lanyard that can be shortened as the distance to the edge changes, which suits cherry pickers, scaffolding and door frame work.

Retractable fall arrest blocks

Known in the trade as inertia reels or self-retracting lifelines, these blocks let line out as the worker moves and lock when they sense a fall. The wire rope fall arrest block is for vertical use on roofing, tower access and industrial maintenance. The retractable webbing fall arrest block is the lighter option for short vertical runs. Most wire rope blocks in the range are rated for vertical use only, so a block that runs out horizontally to a slab edge or leading edge, where the line can pass over the edge in a fall, should be the Helixon-S block for vertical and horizontal use.

Freestanding fall arrest posts

Posts and columns put an anchor overhead where the structure has none, which shortens the fall and limits swing. The portable fall arrest post stands on its own base plate on steelwork, roof edges and infrastructure builds, with no crane or overhead fixing needed. On concrete frames, the aluminium fall arrest column is light enough for one person to set up and reposition along slab edges and formwork. The heavy duty fall arrest column is built for demanding decking and formwork.

Trailer and lorry fall arrest systems

For work on the beds of flatbeds, trailers and articulated vehicles, the trailer fall arrest system is a freestanding overhead anchor on a concrete-filled ballast bin, supplied with a webbing fall arrest block. Nothing is fixed to the vehicle, so any trailer that pulls alongside can be worked on, and a double configuration covers both sides of the vehicle at once.

Hangman overhead anchor systems

A socket-mounted post with an articulated arm places the anchor point above the work area, so the worker is held from above on formwork, concrete construction, structural steel and temporary edge work. The hangman fall arrest anchor comes with a choice of mounting, and selected versions include a retractable block.

Confined space tripods and davits

Vertical entry calls for an anchor over the opening that can carry a block, winch or rescue pulley. The confined space tripod stands over manholes, tanks, silos and sewer openings and folds down to move between them. The counterbalance davit works from beside the opening, held down by counterweights, and its arm reaches out over shaft entries and drainage works on large civil engineering sites.

Temporary anchor points for fall arrest

The anchor is chosen from what the structure on site can carry and accept.

Steel beams and scaffold tube

On steel-framed buildings, gantries and loading bays, the beam anchor trolley clamps to the beam flange and runs along it with the worker, who stays connected across the full span without unclipping. Where one fixed overhead point on steel is enough, the hangman anchor mounts on an I-beam bracket. Scaffold tube takes a lanyard's scaffold hook directly, but only at points the scaffold design allows for anchorage, usually a ledger or standard close to a node.

Concrete slabs, columns and walls

Concrete that is still to be poured can take its anchor in the pour: conical tubes cast into the slab hold the fall arrest columns, and sacrificial cast-in sockets take the hangman post. For existing concrete or steel, the stainless steel anchor point is chemically fixed and sits close to flush once installed, which suits rooftop access, facade maintenance and inspection points that stay in place after the job.

Shafts, manholes and tanks

Over a manhole, tank hatch or shaft, the tripod and the counterbalance davit both give an anchor in line with the opening, so the worker is lowered and raised straight, and neither needs fixing into the floor around it.