How Personal Self-Retracting Lifelines Help Prevent Falls

The latest SafeWork Australia statistics show that falling from heights is one of the biggest contributors to workplace deaths, second only to vehicle incidents.

The high rate of falls may be down to not properly assessing the risks, inadequate fall protection systems, lack of training, not using fall equipment or using it incorrectly. Employers must take steps to protect their workers from falls from height. One way to do this effectively is through portable fall-arrest systems, such as personal self-retracting lifelines (SRLs).

Personal SRLs are used across industries for jobs requiring working at height– such as construction, maintenance and repair, general manufacturing, or even the entertainment industry. They can also be used when a task involves lowering a worker, such as in tunnel projects, or to perform rescues.

What to look for in a personal SRL

SRL’s comprise three main components. These are a body-support harness designed to distribute fall forces, a secure point of anchorage and retractable cable lifelines that connect the harness to the anchor point. The lifelines have some similarities to car seatbelts - they tighten in a dangerous situation, then loosen again afterwards.

SRLs allow wearers freedom of movement while working and stop falls before they happen. If a fall does start to occur, the whole mechanism kicks in to arrest it and minimise the fall distance. It’s crucial when using SRLs that you look for a high-quality product that is compliant with Australian standards and suits your working environment.

SRL devices should be inspected before and after each use (looking for problems such as kinks, holes and abrasions) and your workers need be fully trained in using them.

Why choose personal SRLs from 3M

The 3M Protecta Web SRL is ideal for use across a range of industries where workers need fall protection. The benefits include:

• Compliance – the Protecta is made to the highest standards, meeting or surpassing AS/NZS 1891 (standard for industrial fall-arrest systems and devices).
• Durability and strength – constructed from high-quality long-lasting materials that can withstand harsh working conditions.
• Automatic retraction – a feature that keeps the lifeline taut and reduces the risk of tripping or snagging.
• A quick-activating braking system – locking off within 300mm to immediately arrest a potential fall.
• Lightweight – easily transportable from one worksite to another.
• Versatile and adaptable – useful for a wide range of industries and tasks, and available in lengths from 1.8m up to 30m.
• User-friendly design – quick and easy to install and operate, saving on the time required for fall protection setups.
• Reputation – a branded product from a reputable company that is a leader in fall protection and rescue equipment and in providing total safety solutions.

3M also provides back up support, and help to choose the right fall protection. 3M’s senior application engineer for fall protection, Michael Harrison, says the Web Protecta SRL provides a high-quality cost-effective solution where workers need to work at heights, but still move about freely.

“By investing in quality fall protection equipment like the Protecta Web SRL, businesses can enhance workplace safety and protect their most valuable asset – their employees,” Harrison says.

As Australia’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, Blackwoods has all your job requirements covered. Shop the 3M fall protection range at Blackwoods online.

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