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Supported Column Lifelines

L & T Style Support Column Lifelines

“L” and “T” Column Style Lifelines are particularly well suited for fall arrest in applications where height restrictions preclude the use of HLL installations at foot level.  By placing the fall protection system overhead, a fall can be arrested before a worker strikes equipment or the ground below.  “L” and “T” Column Style HLL’s are often found in rail car, mass transit, and truck applications, just to name a few.

T-Style Lifeline System
Walking safely across a rail car with the aid of a lifeline and a T-style support column lifeline system
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines
T-Style Lifeline System
Walking safely across a rail car with the aid of a lifeline and a T-style support column lifeline system
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines
"L" and "T" Column Style Lifelines

If you are new to this form of horizontal lifeline, you may assume that the structural steel columns, horizontal beams, and the stainless steel cable and shuttle are the most important parts of these systems.  Although each of these components plays an important role in keeping workers safe, the portion that is only slightly visible–the concrete foundation–is key to ensuring safe and reliable system operation.  This is why working with a fall protection with in-house engineering capabilities (including PE)–is critical.  Our turnkey approach to fall protection means that we assume sole responsibility (and liability) for each phase of your project:  design, fabrication, installation, training, inspection, and re-certification.

Remember, falls are the leading cause of occupational injuries and fatalities each year, and the financial impact of an accident is enormous for both your employee and your company.  Ensure worker safety and OSHA compliance with an engineered gallows style horizontal lifeline from Diversified Fall Protection.

We are a complete turnkey provider of OSHA compliant Horizontal Lifelines have years of design and installation experience.  Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements.

Design Considerations

"L" and "T" Column Style Lifeline Design Considerations "L" and "T" Column Style Horizontal Lifeline Systems are common for outdoor applications where rigid beam systems are not practical.  One of the advantages to a gallow style HLL is design flexibility.  A series of gallows posts can be configured to run in a straight line, or accommodate curves and bends, which is a common practice for railroad yard applications.  Rail yards with multiple sections of track or busy freight terminals with multiple loading areas are ideal applications for T-Style gallows, which effectively double the coverage area of the fall protection system. In applications where a gallows style horizontal lifeline system is under consideration, the depth of the water table, as well as the condition and compaction of the soil must be assessed to ensure an adequate foundation to support the weight of the system.  The distance spanned by a gallows style horizontal lifeline is limited only by the ability to erect anchor points of anchor points; HLL systems can safely span distances in excess of 600 feet. Special care must also be taken to account for load and deflection rates which are determined by a number of factors, including pre-tension of the cable, length of the area spanned, 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.
     

Related Documents

Did You Know?

According to OSHA, the distance from a leading edge does not mitigate the hazard? Any leading edge over 4 feet in general industry and 6 feet in construction is considered a hazard.