Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: FALLING

Section 5(a)(1) Of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The Employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that: a) On or about May 23, 2000, and prior to that time employees performing roof decking and associated steel erection operations were exposed to fall hazards in excess of 40' due to failure of the personal fall arrest horizontal lifeline systems, in that manufacturer(s) working loads were exceeded on the horizontal lifeline system, the horizontal lifeline system did not have a safety factor of two for breaking strength, and the lifelines' attachment points were not protected from abrasion. Among other abatement methods to correct this hazard, one acceptable method is to ensure that the design and implementation of horizontal lifeline personal fall arrest system is in accordance with recognized industry practice of installation which include the following: 1. The design, installation, and use of a horizontal lifeline system shall be performed under the supervision of a qualified person and with design criteria ensuring a safety factor of two on the system and all components. 2) Reduction factor determinations shall be made during wire rope cable and synthetic rope utilization with knots or where bent around structures. 3) Lifelines anchored around "H" Beams, "I" Beams, bar joists or similar structures must be protected against cutting or abrasion. 4) Horizontal lifeline material manufacturer's safe working load shall not be exceeded. 5) Horizontal lifeline geometry and angle of sag must be calculated to determine forces to be exerted on the system. 6) The horizontal lifeline maximum arresting forces for harness utilization must be calculated and shall not be exceeded. 7) Elongation and deceleration calculations must be determined allowing for obstruction clearance.