Fall Arrest vs. Fall Restraint

Fall arrest and fall restraint are not interchangeable terms. They are two very different and separate categories in the fall protection area of safety (the third one being "positioning"). So what's the difference and when should one be used over the other?

Fall Restraint is designed to keep a worker from falling in the first place. It is intended to keep the worker away from the edge. This means guardrail systems that effectively block access to the edge. Guardrail systems can be either permanent or temporary (to be removed once the work is done and no one will be up there any longer). Either way they are designed to stop a worker if he or she is backing up without looking, trips or slips, etc… and keep that worker from getting into a position where he or she could actually fall over the edge.

These removable guardrails by Capital Safety, for example are designed to be installed around the perimeter of a flat roof to protect workers from ever getting to the edge of the roofline where they might be in a position to fall off.

Here's another option:

This Checkline Permanent Fall Restraint System by Falltech, in combination with a harness and a personal SRL or lanyard, keeps workers from going past a certain point, thereby keeping them in the safe zone while working on a flat roof.

There are numerous options and possibilities and each job is different. Call or email us if you want help designing or installing a fall restraint system.

Fall Arrest on the other hand is designed to keep you from hitting the ground once you have fallen off the edge. Fall arrest always involves the use of a harness with a back D-ring (the back D-ring is the only place where tie-off is safe). Again, the applications are numerous depending on where you are able to tie-off to, the type of work you are doing, etc… Again, feel free to call or email us if you need help deciding which system is going to work best for you.

Phone: (800) 213-7092 Email: robv@nationalsafetyinc.com

Stay safe up there!