What Is an Overhead Fall Protection System?
An Overhead Fall Protection System is a popular variant of Fall Arrest within the Working at Height market that offers continuous safety for areas where overhead protection is necessary, such as train maintenance, vehicle loading, building maintenance, machine maintenance, working in an area where there’s limited access and working in an area where there’s water e.g. a river. They can also be found in football stadiums, providing access to gantries and platforms.
What Standards and Legislations Need to Be Adhered To?
An Overhead Fall Protection System must be tested to BS EN 795:2012, due to it being a Class D rigid lifeline. It is also recommended by industry professionals that the system is tested to TS 16415:2013. When it comes to Compliance Testing, any Fall Arrest System used for Working at Height must be tested at least once every 12 months. However, Heightsafe recommends an inspection every 6 months for total peace of mind, and to ensure there are no potential risks that could compromise the system during the 12-month time frame.
Why are Overhead Fall Protection Systems So Popular?
They are in high demand as they can be applied to a range of different locations. Unlike most Fall Protection where they are usually only applied on rooftops, an Overhead Fall Arrest Track can be used in many different locations. They are particularly popular for vehicle loading and train depots, as personnel are at times required to work at a low height either on top or within the vehicles.
Heightsafe installed an Overhead Fall Protection System for CAF Rail, a globally recognised railway services and maintenance company. This system was installed in CAF’s depot in Newport, South Wales. Heightsafe personnel installed and certified two Overhead Fall Arrest Tracks on the upper structure of the facility. This consists of two 150m Fall Arrest lines that are overhead the train bays. This allows up to four Working at Height operatives to work on the trains at one time, meaning complete flexibility has been provided for quick inspections or repairs.
To learn more about Heightsafe’s Overhead Fall Arrest solution, please watch our video.
