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When designing flat roof fall protection systems, many fall hazards are specific to fixed locations. Yet technicians must also navigate awkward features not normally designed for accessibility, such as ventilation or electrical systems. Certain maintenance functions, such as removing skylight and hatch covers, may render custom fall protection systems temporarily inoperable.
Mobile anchor points are the key to completing unique rooftop maintenance functions when primary fall protection equipment cannot be used. They also provide an important second layer of protection, even when combined with passive fall protection systems.
Top rated roof safety systems are characterized by their ability to adapt to changing work and safety requirements. While the primary focus should be on protecting the leading edge, interior openings, and rooftop machinery, mobile anchor point fall protection provides further security for unforeseen safety requirements.
Even with primary flat roof fall protection systems, mobile anchor points provide can help rooftop technicians working on vertical surfaces or near leading edges to complete their work with greater security and confidence.
Rooftops with fixed anchor points restrict personal restraint systems’ mobility, especially when the anchors are too far from a given hazard.
Moving the anchor point is often the only solution, which you can achieve with a non-fixed, mobile tie-off point, providing secure attachment for lanyards at virtually any point of a flat roof's surface.
Freestanding mobile anchor points are possible thanks to an innovative design of interconnected, self-reinforcing components:
Four corrosion-resistant baseplates, positioned around a center plate, and all connected by interlocking stainless steel extension arms
A center top plate, further holding the extension arms in place
Four locking arms to secure the extension arms, creating a rigid, unified structure
Without any tools required, the self-reinforcing structure assembles in seconds and supports a single 310 lbs (140 kg) body at free fall. A swivel/pivoting attachment ring provides 360° coverage, and while the entire system weighs in at 672 lbs (305 kg), the maximum weight of any individual component is less than 100 lbs (45 kg).
In conformity with OSHA 1926.502(d)(15), a freestanding anchor point must be dedicated to supporting personal fall arrest systems.
Movable anchor points also allow technicians to easily meet maximum free fall distances, particularly:
Subsection (e), which covers positioning device systems (i.e., belts or harnesses supporting elevated access to vertical surfaces). Here, anchor and lifeline systems must restrict free fall distance to only 2 ft (0.6 m).
Subsection (d)(16)(iii), for almost all other cases, which restricts free fall distance to the lesser of 6 ft (1.8 m) or the distance to the surface below.
These restrictions can severely limit the safety and function of fixed anchor points, which necessitate continual, error-prone control of lanyard length. By comparison, mobile anchors allow easy repositioning in conformity with lifeline stopping power requirements.
Compared to passive fall protection solutions, lanyards require active, continual adjustment. This can carry an extremely thin margin of error, reflected in several important compliance requirements throughout 1910.40, "Personal fall protection systems," and 1926.502(d) and (e):
Personal fall arrest systems have a maximum deceleration distance of 3.5 ft (1.07 m), in addition to the free fall distances described above
Lanyards and vertical lifelines require at least 5,000 lbs (22.2 kN) of breaking strength
Lifelines must be protected from cuts or abrasions, which is much easier by limiting their length with exact anchor point position
Anchors for positioning device systems must support the greater of 3,000 lbs (13.3 kN) or twice the potential impact load of a falling worker
At hoist areas, personal fall arrest systems must restrict travel to within the edge of the walking-working surface
Lifelines made of polypropylene rope require UV-light inhibitors
Connectors for personal fall protection systems must be smooth and feature a corrosion-resistant finish
Except in very limited cases, personal fall arrest systems cannot be attached to guardrails or hoists – they must practically always be used with dedicated anchor points
Horizontal lifelines, designed for lateral travel between two anchor points, also carry nuanced compliance standards:
Personal all arrest systems for horizontal lifelines must have a minimum safety factor of two (i.e., double the maximum arresting force)
1926.502(d)(6) restricts the use of snaphooks not specifically made for horizontal lifelines
If a horizontal lifeline might also serve as a vertical lifeline (such as on scaffolds), devices connecting to the horizontal lifeline must be capable of bidirectional locking
Horizontal lifelines must only be installed and supervised by a qualified person (those with recognized industry knowledge, training, or credentials described in 1910.140[b])
No online guide or resource can replace the need to regularly consult your exact fall protection requirements, so always reference the OSHA or CCOHS requirements and consult industry professionals as needed.
Mobile anchor point fall protection provides several important advantages for flat roof fall protection systems:
Allows technicians to position tie-off points for changing rooftop maintenance needs
Expands the reach of personal restraint systems
Reduces the number of anchor points required for perimeter-wide access
Supports easy, portable storage when not in use
Further, mobile anchor points are perfectly compatible with existing rooftop safety systems, such as guardrails and safety gates.
This is an important consideration for workflows that heavily leverage the modularity of top rated roof safety systems. For instance, rooftop construction often requires moving non-penetrating guardrails in concert with mobile machinery, hoisting operations, and other functions that create unique rooftop safety demands. Even something as simple as removing a skylight cover could invoke extensive compliance violations without alternate means of protection in place.
If rooftop technicians are dependent on any one fall protection device, a single adjustment could render the entire work environment unsafe. This makes system redundancy, such as through mobile anchor point fall protection, an effective solution for maintaining safe and efficient rooftop work environments.
BlueWater is dedicated to advancing the safety and reliability of flat roof fall protection systems. Our top rated roof safety systems include a comprehensive suite of passive and active fall protection solutions, designed for maximum adaptation and worker protection. Contact us today to discuss your rooftop maintenance goals with our knowledgeable rooftop safety experts.
