Fixed Rail and Guided Wire Fall arrest - safety warning

Safety warning: BS EN 353-1 2002 Part 1 Fall Arrest Equipment

A number of recorded incidents in Europe coupled with interim findings of ongoing
research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have raised concerns with certain fall
arrest equipment usually found attached to or integrated in fixed ladders on permanent
structures.
The interim findings of the research were formally reported to the British Standards
Institution (BSI) technical committee, PH/5 (Industrial Safety Belts and Harnesses),
which is responsible for the UK's input to the European Standards for Personal Protective
Equipment against Falls from Height. PH5 has prepared two alerts - attached here as
annexes - in relation to the safety in performance of BS EN 353-1 2002 Part 1 fall arrest
equipment. HSE agreed to issue the alerts to bring this matter to the attention of all those
involved with such equipment.
Martin Holden, Principal Specialist Inspector in HSE's Construction Corporate Topic
Group, said:

"All those manufacturing, installing, using or having responsibility for any of these types
of fixed rail or guided wire fall arrest equipment need to be aware of these important
alerts. HSE advises that all relevant parties heed the warnings they contain and follow the
recommendations in them. If end users are unable to follow the recommendations then
we advise that alternative means of fall protection be used until such time that the
equipment can be modified or replaced."
"HSE inspectors will further publicise these warnings to trade associations and other
relevant industry bodies."
Problems associated with these particular devices have been reported in the Netherlands,
Austria and Germany, as follows:
• three cases (one fatal) involved the arrester running off the end of the rigid
rail anchor lines, even though there had been an end stop fitted.
• In two cases falls occurred with little injury although the devices failed to
operate properly.
• In a further two case the devices failed to operate properly resulting in
serious/fatal injuries.
In one case the fall arrester arrested the fall but the connector failed resulting in serious
injuries.

Notes to editors
1. This safety warning is issued by HSE on behalf of the BSI PH5 Committee. For further
information on the background to the alerts please contact the Secretary of the PH5
Committee, Mr John Fisher, tel: 0208 996 9000.
2. A guided type fall arrester is part of a fall-arrest system that includes a vertical rigid
anchor line, usually attached to or integrated in fixed ladders. The applicable European
Standard is BS EN 353-1:2002, 'Personal protective equipment against falls from a
height. Part 1 - Guided type fall arresters including a rigid anchor line', which specifies
the requirements, test methods, marking, information supplied by the manufacturer and
packaging. Systems are generally for single person use, unless advised otherwise by the
manufacturer.
3. Regulation 9 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPE
Regs) requires employers to provide employees with enough information, instruction and
training to enable the employees to know the manner in which the personal protective
equipment (PPE) is to be used and any action the employee needs to take to ensure the
PPE remains in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. The
requirement for manufacturers to test and to provide information also comes from the
PPE Regs.
4. The research being undertaken is part of the project "Preliminary investigation into the
fall arresting effectiveness of ladder safety hoops" being carried out as part of the Health
and Safety Commission's Falls from Height Priority Programme. The research work is
due to be completed by the 30 June 2004 and the final report will be made available on
the HSE website. Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injury and the
second most common cause of major injury to employees, accounting for 15% of all such
injuries in the workplace. In 2001/2002 68 people died and nearly 4,000 suffered a
serious injury as a result of a fall from height. All industry sectors are exposed to the risks
presented by this hazard although the level of incidence varies considerably. For more
information on falls from height go to: <http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index.htm>
<../../falls/index.htm>
5. HSE's Construction Corporate Topic Group provides technical, professional and
engineering expertise in health and safety matters to HSE and industry at a national level.
HSE is represented both on BSI Technical Committee PH/5 'Industrial Safety Belts and
Harnesses' and the European Standards Technical Committee CEN/TC 160/WG2 'Fall
Arrest'.
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES: Call HSE's InfoLine, tel: 08701 545500, or write to: HSE
Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
ANNEX 1
BSI Technical Committee, PH/5 'Industrial Safety Belts and Harnesses' February 2004
SAFETY WARNING - VERTICAL RIGID RAIL FALL-ARREST SYSTEMS
Following a number of serious accidents (including fatalities) within the European Union,
concerns have been expressed by users, safety professionals and enforcing authorities
about the design and use of vertical rigid rail fall-arrest systems1 . In addition, similar
issues have been identified during research being undertaken currently for the UK's
Health and Safety Executive2 .
There are four areas of concern:
(a) The existing product Standard, BS EN 353-1:20023 , was prepared on the assumption
that a user attaches/detaches to the vertical rigid rail from a place of safety, e.g. at ground
level or from a working platform, and remains connected to it during use and possible
deployment. This is not always the case, for example:
• systems on a pylon or mast that start at a raised level, to prevent
unauthorised access; or
• suspended ladders, used to clean windows and external building fabric.
WARNING:
Where it is possible to fall from the bottom of a rigid rail, the manufacturer should be
consulted and an end stop designed and fitted to prevent, whether under load or not under
load, the guided type fall arrester from running off the rigid anchor line unintended, or
the use of other fall protection measures considered.
(b) Part of a vertical rigid rail system comprises the connection between the rail and the
user, e.g. a fall arrester , lanyard and connector. There are safety concerns associated
with:
• the use of the fall arrester4 for work positioning, where the user leans back
and relies it for support; and
• the position of the harness attachment point, when different from that
recommended by the manufacturer.
In both cases, the fall arrester's locking mechanism may be adversely affected.
WARNING:
A vertical rigid rail fall-arrest system should not be used for work positioning unless the
manufacturer, in the advice given within their user instructions, permits this. The
connection between user and rail should not be extended in length, e.g. with an additional
connector or lanyard. The manufacturer and/or supplier should indicate the requirements
for the attachment to a full body harness, e.g. high or low relative to the sternum, and the
user should adhere to this advice.
(c) If horizontal loading is applied to the connection at the fall arrester in the situation
when a fall occurs, e.g. when a worker falls backwards, this may prevent engagement of
the locking pawl at the moment that it is required to lock on to the vertical rail, and may
lead to excessive fall distances.
WARNING:
The dynamic testing that underpins BS EN 353-1: 2002 was prepared on the assumption
that if a worker falls they will fall wholly downwards, with no interference with the fixed
ladder or other structure to which the vertical rail is attached. In a real fall situation, if a
worker falls backwards before falling wholly downwards they may fall further than the
1.0 m fall distance limit imposed in the dynamic test in BS EN 353-1: 2002. Where it is
possible to fall backwards from the ladder, the manufacturer should be consulted as to the
performance of the fall arrester in such a situation and, if necessary, testing should be
carried out to establish that performance. Such a test method was previously adopted in
the UK in BS 5062 Pt. 1 (clauses 7.5.3 and E.2.1.2, "System operational test") but was
withdrawn on the introduction of BS EN 353-1: 1993.
(d) Some fall arresters are fitted with an over-ride or release facility to deactivate the
locking function. The release facility should only be activated when there is no danger of
the user falling. The fall arrester should not require manual adjustment during normal
use.
WARNING:
Engaging a fall arrester's release function, or handling it during ascent/descent, can hinder
the safe operation of the braking mechanism.
BS EN 353-1:2002 is due to be revised by CEN Technical Committee, TC160/WG2 and
will take account of the concerns raised. However, this process is likely to take some
time, and may require additional research.
ANNEX 2
BS EN 353-1 Additional text for inclusion in the National Foreword
VERTICAL GUIDED TYPE FALL ARRESTERS - TESTING
Information reported to Technical Committee PH/5 has indicated that the test procedures
specified in EN 353-1 clause 5.3 and prescribed in EN 364 clause 5.6.2.2 Test Method B,
may not be considered satisfactory proof of dynamic performance for a guided type fall
arrester with a wire rope anchor line. Test results have shown that unmeasured forces
(unmeasured at type test) at the structural anchor may far exceed the measured forces at
the test mass in such circumstances. The phenomenon may be explained by the
application of 'standing wave' theory.
WARNING:
It is recommended that the testing of guided type fall arresters including rope anchor lines
should forthwith include the use of force measurement instruments at both the structural
anchor and the test mass to ensure that all forces remain within acceptable limits.
Designers, manufacturers and installers of guided type fall arresters including a rigid
anchor line (whether rail or wire rope) should be alert to the implications that this
information may have for their products.
1
. A guided type fall arrester is part of a fall-arrest system that includes a vertical rigid
anchor line, usually attached to or integrated in fixed ladders.
2
'Preliminary investigation into the fall-arresting effectiveness of ladder safety hoops'
(Safety Squared). The draft report for this work is due to be completed in June 2004.
3
The applicable European Standard is BS EN 353-1:2002, 'Personal protective equipment
against falls from a height. Part 1 - Guided type fall arresters including a rigid anchor
line', which specifies the requirements, test methods, marking, information supplied by
the manufacturer and packaging. Systems are generally for single person use, unless
advised otherwise by the manufacturer.
4
Sometimes referred to as a mobile anchor point.