Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1996 - 19

r
A WORKER FAW WEARING A

n its broadest sense ··fall protection" refers to all
the efforts involved in keeping a worker from being
injured by falling from one level to another. There
are basically two ways to accomplish tllis: elinlinate
the possibility of falling at all or, when tllis is not
possible, employ a system wllich catches workers
safely after tlley fall and before they llit the ground
or other hard surface.

FULL -BODY HARNESS
A TTACH£D TO AN OVERHEAD

UFEUNE BY A SHOCK
ABSORBING LANYARD.

Fall

Arrested
NOTICE THAT THE HIGH BACK
LANYARD ATTACHMENT TO
THE HARNESS lEAVES THE
WORKER IN AN UPRIGHT
POSITION AFTER THE ARREST.

OSHA REQUIREMENTS
The requirements for fall protection in the American workplace are contained in the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) of 19 O.
Finding the sections in tile Act tllat apply to fall protection is not easy since tile references are not collected neatly into just one section or labeled in a
way tllat indicates their applicability to tlleatrical
situations. For instance, the so-called General Duty
Clause (29CFR 1910.132), which is often used to
cite violations, never even uses tile words "fall protection." Many of the references to specific fall protection equipment and procedures are found under
a section titled, "Powered Platforms for Building
Maintenance" (29CFR 1910.66). Otller references
to fall protection are found in 29CFR 1926, Subpart
M, which describes safe working conditions in the
construction industry. Beyond the actuallener of the
law, there is also a large body of interpretations that
have developed over the years as the citations have
been challenged. To add even further to tile complexity of divining the specifics of fall protection requirements, induslIy standards documents like the
A1\SI Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest
Systems (A..'lSI Z359.1-1992), while not part of the
OSHA regulations, can be used to support a citation.

IDENTIFYING THE HAZARD
··Fall hazard" is a technical term for any situation where a worker losing llis or her
balance could fall to a lower level and be injured. Most fall hazard situations are
obvious: hanging "motor points" on a narrow I-beam forty feet above the cement
floor in a sports arena is clearly dangerous, as is walking a theatre system pipe seventy feet above the stage floor. Less obvious are work siruations closer to tile
ground. Fortunately OSHA clearly defines fall hazard situations with what is known
as tile ··six foot rule": if a worker is exposed to the pOSSibility of falling six feet or
more, fall protection must be provided and used.
Once the fall hazard is shown to exist, there are two ways to deal \\ith it: design it out or pro\ide a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) tilat catches a fallen
worker before he llits a lower surface. Elinlinating potential fall hazards by designing tllem out during a project's planning stages is by far tile best way. For instance,
facilities can install just below the roof steel a walkable \\ire grid ceiling Witll small
openings through which motor points can be rigged, thereby eliminating any possibility of accidents happening due to falling. (The Richmond Coliseum in Richmond,
California has taken this approach.) Installing permanent railed catwalks which allow access to all potential elevated work areas is another way to eliminate fall hazards. In each of these instances, the elevated work environment is changed such
tllat a worker who falls is contained on the level he is working and cannot fall to a
lower level.

The Transfastener engages with the first
loop of the hanger causing the starwheel to
rotate backwards while allowing the slipper to
slide along the wire between the hanger legs.

I I The Transfastener moves further
along and the starwheel continues to
rotate, engaging the second loop of the
hanger, as the slipper passes through.

The Transfastener clears the
second loop and continues further
along with the slipper still gliding
along the wire.

TD&T

\'\'1 NT ER

996

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1996