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Fall Protection & Fall Arrest Systems for the Spray Paint Booths and Blast Booths

Although limiting worker exposure to dust and other airborne particulate matter in paint and blast booth applications is an obvious safety concern, fall protection is often overlooked.  Because a fall from as little as four feet can result in severe injury or death, blast and paint booth fall protection requires serious consideration.

Ensuring the safety of your employees and complete compliance with all OSHA regulations requires the implementation of a comprehensive fall prevention strategy, which includes the proper mix of fall protection equipment, personnel training, and partnering with a fall protection company that appreciates the unique nature of each of your booth access points and potential fall hazards.

Designing a fall protection system for a paint spray booth begins with our engineers having a good understanding of how your personnel plan to use the system.  Will workers be climbing on top of large pieces of equipment or fabricated steel?  Does the spray paint booth use an overhead crane to carry material in and out of the work area?  How much fall clearance distance is available?

These are just a few of the questions our engineers ask while observing your personnel at work.  Combining an accurate picture of the work area with our knowledge of fall protection concepts, we can design, fabricate, and install a system that allows for maximum worker productivity while ensuring OSHA compliance.  To learn more about fall protection options for paint spray booth or blast booths, invite one of our safety specialists to conduct an on-site hazard assessment today.

We are a complete turnkey provider of paint and blast booth fall protection systems and have years of design and installation experience in this market sector.  Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements.

Fall Protection Solutions

Design Considerations

Paint and Blast Booth Fall Protection Design Considerations

The lack of adequate support structure combined with the short distance from the top of the work area to ground level typically requires an internal self-standing fall arrest system of two rigid trolley beams rather than a horizontal lifeline system for booth applications. Because booth operators use respirators, fall arrest system design and specified PPE must also prevent contact with an employee’s face. Although these conditions present challenges, our turnkey approach to OSHA compliant fall protection can keep your booths operational and your personnel safe.

OSHA Regulations

  • Single Point Anchors
    • 1926.502(d)(15)
      Anchorages used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment shall be independent of any anchorage being used to support or suspend platforms and capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per employee attached, or shall be designed, installed, and used as follows:
    • 1926.502(d)(15)(i)
      as part of a complete personal fall arrest system which maintains a safety factor of at least two; and
    • 1926.502(d)(15)(ii)
      under the supervision of a qualified person.
  • Personal Fall Arrest Systems
    • 1926.502(d)(16)
      Personal fall arrest systems, when stopping a fall, shall:
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(ii)
      limit maximum arresting force on an employee to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) when used with a body harness;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iii)
      be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor contact any lower level;
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(iv)
      bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance an employee travels to 3.5 feet (1.07 m); and,
    • 1926.502(d)(16)(v)
      have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of an employee free falling a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m), or the free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less.

Talk to a fall protection specialist

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