Reference

Fall restraint keeps a worker from reaching the hazard; fall arrest catches a fall already in progress. This reference sets out the hierarchy, a side-by-side comparison, the anchorage rule OSHA actually enforces for restraint, how work positioning differs from both, and where restraint quietly stops being restraint on a real jobsite.

ANSI/ASSP Z359.14-2021 replaced the Class A and Class B self-retracting lifeline labels with Class 1 and Class 2 on August 1, 2023, and changed what the class measures: anchorage position, not stopping distance. Covers both classes side by side, why Class A does not convert to Class 1, and how edge rating differs from class.

OSHA assigns every fall protection duty to a named role: the competent person who inspects and corrects, the qualified person who engineers anchors and lifelines, the authorized person who uses the systems. This guide decodes the 1926.32 definitions, maps every Subpart M duty to its role, and staffs a real roofing job.

Fall protection anchor points must either hold 5,000 lb per worker or be engineered by a qualified person to twice the maximum arresting force, under OSHA 1926.502(d)(15). Confusing arrest anchors with positioning or restraint anchors is how anchorages get under-rated. This guide covers every anchor strength and a worked roof example.

A full-body harness only arrests a fall when it is donned correctly and fitted snug. This guide walks through every step - inspection, untangling, shoulder straps, chest and leg buckles, and dorsal D-ring placement - then covers the fingers-flat fit check and what OSHA 1926.502, 1910.140, and ANSI Z359 require before you tie off.

Tie off without enough room below you and the system stops you only after you have already hit the ground. This guide shows how to calculate fall clearance step by step - free fall, deceleration, worker height, D-ring shift, and safety factor - with worked numbers for a shock-absorbing lanyard versus an SRL under OSHA 1926.502.

A fall protection harness must be inspected before every use, because a cut web or a deployed impact indicator can mean the difference between a stopped fall and a fatal one. This checklist walks through webbing, stitching, D-rings, buckles, and impact indicators, explains inspection frequency, and gives the rules for when to retire a harness.

A shock-absorbing lanyard and a self-retracting lifeline both connect your harness to an anchor, but they behave differently in a fall, and choosing wrong can mean too little clearance to stop. This guide compares the two on free-fall distance, clearance, arrest force, and cost, and shows which connector fits each tie-off.