User Manual

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CompetentPerson:Onewhoiscapableofidentifyingexistingandpredictablehazardsinthe 
surroundingsorworkingconditionswhichareunsanitary,hazardous,ordangerousto
employees,andwhohasauthorizationtotakepromptcorrectivemeasurestoeliminatethem.
QualifiedPerson:Apersonwitharecognizeddegreeorprofessionalcertificateandwith
extensive
knowledge,training,andexperienceinthefallprotectionandrescuefieldwhois
capableofdesigning,analyzing,evaluatingandspecifyingfallprotectionandrescuesystemsto
theextentrequiredbythisstandard.
Rescuer:Personorpersonsotherthantherescuesubjectactingtoperformanassistedrescue
byoperationofarescuesystem.
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4.INSTALLATIONANDOPERATION
InstallationofthisFACSSmustbeunderthesupervisionofaCompetentPersontrainedinits
designanduse.
DONOTuseanyFACSSdiscussedinthismanualuntilthesystemhasbeencompletelyinstalled,
inspected,andap provedforusebyaCompetentPerson.
4.1AnchorageLocation:Selectasuitableanchoragepointthatwillsupportthestrength
requirementandminimizefreefallandswingha
zards.Donotworkabovetheanchoragepoint.
4.2FallClearanceDistance:WhenworkingatheightsandusingaPFAS,itisimportantto
considerthedistancebetweenthewalking/workinglevelandthenextlowerlevel,or
obstruction,toensurethereissufficientroomforthePFAStoarrestafall.FallClearance
Distanceisthedistancethatisrequiredtosafelyarrestthefallofauser.TheDistancemaybe
calculatedbyaddingtogethertheLengthoftheLanyard,theDecelerationDistance,theHeight
oftheWorker,plusaSafetyFactorof11/2’.
Syntheticropeissubjecttoelongation,orstretch.Asthedistancebetweentheanchorageand
thegrabincreases,theportionoftheVLLthatissubjectedtoloadsincreases,therebyincreasing
theeffectsofelongation.Elongationcanbeasmuchastenpe
rcentforropeinwetconditions.
Considerationofelongationmustbeconsideredwhenestimatingfallclearancedistances.
SeeFigure4.
4.3SwingFall:Swingfallsoccurwhentheanchoragepointisnotdirectlyabove thepointwhere
afalloccurs.Theforceofstrikinganobjectinaswingfallmaycauseseriousinjury.Inaswing
fall,thetotalverticalfalldistancewillbegreaterthaniftheuserhadfallendirectlybelowthe
anchoragepoint,thusincreasingthetotalfreefalldistanceandthearearequiredtosafely 
arresttheuser.Minimizeswingfallsbyworkingasdirectlybelowtheanchoragepointas
possible.Movetheanchorageasrequired.Neverpermitaswingfallifinjurycouldoccur.Ifa
swingfallsituationexistsinyourapplicationconsultaCompetentPersonbeforeproceeding.
SeeFigure5.
4.4InstallationandUseofVLL,RopeGrabsandRGLS.Thismanualassume
stheanchorageand
theFBHisincomplianceandhasbeenpreviouslyinstalledandinspectedbyaCompetent
Person.VLLs,ropegrabsandRGLS’arecomponentsinaFACSS,butinstallationandusewillbe
discussedseparately.
4.4.1VLLTypeA–F:AllVLLsaresimilar,butmaterialsandendterminationswillvary.Thebasic
functionistoprovidealengthoflifelinefortheropegrabtotravelonandgriptoarrestfall
events.
AllVLLshaveaself‐closingandself‐lockingsnaphookpre‐install edinathimbledeyeatthe
anchorageend,withoneexception,theTypeF,whichiswithoutasnaphookandisconfigured
foracarabiner.Attachtheself‐closingself‐lockin
gsnaphookorcarabinertotheanchorage.
Attachaminimumfive‐poundcounterweighttothenon‐anchorageendtomaintainatautline.
Letthenon‐anchorageendhangfreely.Iftheropepassesoveranedgeofanykind,oranytype
ofroughorunevensurface,provideabrasionprotection.SeeTable1.
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