attached to the back d-ring of their full body harness and tied-off to
the structure on which they are positioning as a back up device.
2.8: Free-Fall
Free-Fall is the distance that a worker will fall before the connecting
device or deceleration device elements of the PFAS will begin to engage
during a fall event. OSHA allows a maximum Free-Fall Distance of 6' (6
feet) when rigging a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS). In some
cases, exceptions may be allowed when there is no practical way to limit
the Free-Fall Distance to 6', such as a job-site where no overhead
anchor-point is available. Tying off in a manner that would create a
Free-Fall greater than 6' should always be a last resort. If you are
rigging a system that allows more than 6' of Free-Fall, make sure your
Connecting Device/Deceleration Device is rated for this application.
2.9: Clear-Fall
Clear-Fall or Clear-Fall Distance is the distance that is required to
safely arrest the fall of a user. 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 to ensure that the
components selected are capable of arresting the user's fall before they
hit the next lower level. The required Clear-Fall Distance can easily be
calculated by adding together the Free-Fall Distance, the Deceleration
Distance, the height of the user plus a safety factor of 2 feet. The
formula for calculating Clear-Fall Distance is shown below:
Free-Fall Distance + Deceleration Distance + Height of Worker + Safety Factor = Clear-Fall
Distance
The matrix below can be used as a guide for calculating Clear-Fall
Distance on your job-site:
Free-Fall Distance
(OSHA allows up to 6')
Deceleration
Distance
(Typically 3.5' or less)
Height of Worker
Safety Factor
(Minimum of 2')
Total
(Sum of all values)
Example Values
6'
3.5'
6'
2'
17.5'
10
Actual Values