Personal Fall Arrest System
A personal fall arrest system (PFAS) is a worker's fall protection setup designed to stop a fall in progress before the worker strikes a lower level. It typically includes a full-body harness, connectors like a lanyard or lifeline, and a compliant anchorage point. In Canadian and U.S. standards, PFAS must meet specific strength and compatibility requirements to arrest a free fall safely.
On a manufacturing or shop floor, a PFAS is used when work is performed at height and other controls cannot eliminate the fall hazard. In British Columbia, fall protection is required when a worker may fall 3 m (10 ft.) or more, or from a lesser height where injury risk is greater. Workers on elevated platforms, scaffolds, or mezzanine edges wear a full-body harness connected via a lanyard or self-retracting lifeline to an approved anchor. Anchors must have a minimum capacity of 22 kN (5,000 lb) for temporary or permanent fall arrest. The system must use compatible components compliant with CSA or ANSI standards, and in some cases, a shock-absorbing lanyard is required.
- Using a body belt instead of a full-body harness for fall arrest, which is not acceptable in modern practice.
- Improper anchorage selection or non-independent tie-off, failing to meet prescribed strength requirements.
- Insufficient clearance or rigging errors, such as excessive free fall or wrong connector length, leading to striking a lower level.
What is the difference between fall restraint and PFAS fall arrest?
Fall restraint prevents the worker from reaching the edge or area where a fall can occur; fall arrest allows the worker to fall but stops the fall before impact. WorkSafeBC explicitly distinguishes these and states that if the equipment cannot limit vertical drop to 30 cm, the system should be fall arrest.
What components make a PFAS compliant?
At minimum, a full-body harness, a connector system (lanyard, lifeline, or equivalent), and a compliant anchor/anchorage; the components must be compatible, suitable, and used in accordance with applicable CSA or ANSI standards.
What is the regulatory anchor strength expectation in BC?
For temporary fall arrest, the anchor must have ultimate load capacity of at least 22 kN (5,000 lb) or two times the maximum arrest force; permanent anchors must also be 22 kN (5,000 lb).