<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><div style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Standard OSHA personal safety harnesses are designed to keep someone upright and without pressure on the diaphragm in the event of loss of consciousness.<br>Having done substantial rock and ice climbing with state of the art climbing gear, I can tell you that it is not designed for that at all.<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Glenn Burt<br>Sent from my 'smart' phone so please excuse grammar and typos.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><hr><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">From: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="mailto:william@millersolar.com">William Miller</a></span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Sent: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">1/17/2015 14:20</span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">To: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a></span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Re: [RE-wrenches] Fall Protection Equipment</span><br><br></div><div>Friends:</div><div><br></div><div>Industrial fall protection with rear attachment offers no functionality in keeping a worker in place on a steep steel roof. We install planks in these situations but would also like to be able to cinch up a line connected to the workers waist or chest in the front to provide extra stability. Rear attached harnesses do not provide that. </div><div><br></div><div>William <br><br><br></div><div><br>On Jan 17, 2015, at 11:00 AM, Ray Walters <<a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I prefer climbing gear as its much
lighter weight and doesn't drag you around. I actually think in
some cases that traditional fall protection gear can be more of a
tripping hazard than the safety it provides. However, I was
previously under the impression that if OSHA (or in the islands:
HIOSH) came around, we had to ditch the climbing gear and get into
the 3 times as heavy regular harnesses.<br>
I just looked at the OSHA website though, and it doesn't seem to
specify certification, just that the equipment meet the fall
criteria as Dan mentioned.<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.osha.gov/Region7/fallprotection/fall_protection_info.html">https://www.osha.gov/Region7/fallprotection/fall_protection_info.html</a><br>
This doesn't mention test procedures or certification of
equipment. Here's more from the actual OSHA 1926 book:<br>
<br>
<span class="blackTen"><strong><font class="standard">1926.502(e)(3)</font></strong>
<blockquote>Connectors shall be drop forged, pressed or formed
steel, or made of equivalent materials.</blockquote>
<a name="1926.502(e)(4)"></a>
<strong><font class="standard">1926.502(e)(4)</font></strong>
<blockquote>Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish,
and all surfaces and edges shall be smooth to prevent damage
to interfacing parts of this system.</blockquote>
<a name="1926.502(e)(5)"></a>
<strong><font class="standard">1926.502(e)(5)</font></strong>
<blockquote>Connecting assemblies shall have a minimum tensile
strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN)</blockquote>
<a name="1926.502(e)(6)"></a>
<strong><font class="standard">1926.502(e)(6)</font></strong>
<blockquote>Dee-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a
minimum tensile load of 3,600 pounds (16 kN) without cracking,
breaking, or taking permanent deformation.<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</span>"Equivalent materials" ? Seems that an aluminum caribiner
that meets the other criteria would be equivalent.<br>
<br>
Here, Petzl also makes a full line of worker safety equipment:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.petzl.com/en/Professional/Verticality?l=US#.VLqw4nuLXfc">http://www.petzl.com/en/Professional/Verticality?l=US#.VLqw4nuLXfc</a><br>
<br>
This is really interesting, and I would like to have a more
definitive answer from OSHA. It would be great if we could use
lighter weight climbing gear; just compare a caribiner to the
heavy steel monsters you get at Grainger's. As long as it is
strong enough:<br>
Lighter weight = less fatigue= safer, IMHO. <br>
As with so many discussions on this list, it will ultimately
depend on your local authorities.<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760</pre>
On 1/16/2015 11:20 PM, Benn Kilburn wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:B658B53D-A967-4EB5-AD02-8350DECA1BF3@skyfireenergy.com" type="cite">
<pre wrap="">James,
This looks like a pretty nice lanyard w/ shock-absorber, rope-grab and rope.
What type/style harness did he bring along?
Re: OSHA approved...great question. Prior to looking into it further I'd suspect it falls in a "grey area".
Benn Kilburn
SkyFire Energy Inc.
780-906-7807
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Jan 16, 2015, at 9:29 AM, James Rudolph <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jamesrudolph99@gmail.com"><jamesrudolph99@gmail.com></a> wrote:
Aloha my Wrench Brothers!
We have a recent defector from a very large National Solar company here that</pre></blockquote></blockquote></div></blockquote><br><div>[The entire original message is not included.]</div></body></html>