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Horizontal Lifelines for Crane Rail Applications

Your facility’s overhead cranes represent a significant investment requiring periodic maintenance and inspection. And if you have ever personally walked the length of a crane rail, you understand the fall hazards associated with this work. A crane rail’s narrow, dust-covered walking surface is often one of the highest maintenance areas found in any facility.

One of the most common fall protection solutions for crane rail applications is a horizontal lifeline, which allows safe access to the entire rail length while maintaining 100% tie-off. Although crane lengths vary, we can install design and lifelines that range from 50′ to 1,000′ feet in a continuous pass.

Remember, ensuring working safety and OSHA compliance requires the implementation of a comprehensive fall prevention strategy, which includes the proper mix of fall protection equipment, and personnel training. Partnering with a fall protection company that appreciates the unique nature of your crane’s access points and potential fall hazards will ensure the safety of your workers and the OSHA compliance of your facility.

We are a complete turnkey provider of engineered fall protection systems and have years of design and installation experience in the crane and crane rail market sector. Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements.

Fall Protection Solutions

Design Considerations

  • Provides continuous fall protection coverage over long distances. The distance spanned by a horizontal lifeline is limited only by the ability to attach a series of anchor points to surrounding structure.
  • Special care must be taken to account for the loads on various anchor points and deflection in the event of a fall, thus requiring certified and experienced engineering and installation capabilities.
  • Each anchor point must be secure enough to withstand the forces associated a fall and a thorough review of the work area is needed to ensure that a worker will not strike pipes, equipment, or other surfaces when falling.
  • Load and deflection rates are determined by a number of factors, including pre-tension of the cable, length of the area spanned by the horizontal lifeline, and the number of workers connected to the system.

OSHA Regulations

The employer must ensure that each horizontal lifeline:

  • Is designed, installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person; and 1910.140(c)(11)(ii)
  • Is part of a complete personal fall arrest system that maintains a safety factor of at least two. 1910.140(c)(12)

Anchorages used to attach to personal fall protection equipment must be independent of any anchorage used to suspend employees or platforms on which employees work. Anchorages used to attach to personal fall protection equipment on mobile work platforms on powered industrial trucks must be attached to an overhead member of the platform, at a point located above and near the center of the platform. 1910.140(c)(13)   Anchorages, except window cleaners' belt anchors covered by paragraph (e) of this section, must be:

  • Capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) for each employee attached; or 1910.140(c)(13)(ii)
  • Designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall protection system that maintains a safety factor of at least two. 1910.140(c)(14)
  • Travel restraint lines must be capable of sustaining a tensile load of at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN). 1910.140(c)(15)
  • Lifelines must not be made of natural fiber rope. Polypropylene rope must contain an ultraviolet (UV) light inhibitor. 1910.140(c)(16)

Personal Fall Arrest Systems:  System performance criteria. In addition to the general requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, the employer must ensure that personal fall arrest systems: 1910.140(d)(1)(i)

  • Limit the maximum arresting force on the employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN); 1910.140(d)(1)(ii)
  • Bring the employee to a complete stop and limit the maximum deceleration distance the employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.1 m); 1910.140(d)(1)(iii)
  • Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of the employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the free fall distance permitted by the system; and... 1910.140(d)(1)(iv)
  • Sustain the employee within the system/strap configuration without making contact with the employee's neck and chin area. 1910.140(d)(1)(v)

If the personal fall arrest system meets the criteria and protocols in appendix D of this subpart, and is being used by an employee having a combined body and tool weight of less than 310 pounds (140 kg), the system is considered to be in compliance with the provisions of paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section. If the system is used by an employee having a combined body and tool weight of 310 pounds (140kg) or more and the employer has appropriately modified the criteria and protocols in appendix D, then the system will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (d)(1)(i) through (iii). 1910.140(d)(2).   The employer must ensure that:

  • On any horizontal lifeline that may become a vertical lifeline, the device used to connect to the horizontal lifeline is capable of locking in both directions on the lifeline. 1910.140(d)(2)(ii)
  • Personal fall arrest systems are rigged in such a manner that the employee cannot free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m) or contact a lower level. A free fall may be more than 6 feet (1.8 m) provided the employer can demonstrate the manufacturer designed the system to allow a free fall of more than 6 feet and tested the system to ensure a maximum arresting force of 1,800 pounds (8 kN) is not exceeded. 1910.140(d)(3)
  • Body belts. Body belts are prohibited as part of a personal fall arrest system.

Talk to a fall protection specialist

Tell us about your fall protection needs, and we’ll configure a system that rises to your challenges.