AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FALL ARREST EQUIPMENT USED ON CONSTRUCTION SITES

Abstract

Despite having improved the safety standards in the construction industry, the occurrence of fatalities due to fall from height still remains one of highest making it one of the most dangerous industries (Beavers, Moore et al. 2009). A problem found on construction sites that may have exacerbated the incidents of fall from height accidents is the use of Do-it-Yourself (DIY) safety systems such as horizontal lifelines that are designed and assembled using components that are bought separately. While manufactured systems typically go through rigorous testing to obtain certifications, DIY systems usually relies on the Professional Engineer’s (PE) calculations and endorsement. However, previous studies have shown that the PE endorsed designs are inadequate to arrest a fall. This paper aims to investigate the types of fall arrest systems (manufactured or DIY) used on sites, the factors affecting the choice of safety equipment, the procurement process and the perceptions of the contractors regarding the adequacy of DIY systems. The hypotheses of this paper are firstly, small to medium contractors would make use of DIY systems as it is cheaper and secondly, contractors are unaware of the properties of both the components and the entire system, thus making it highly possible that the DIY systems are inadequate. The paper uses site visits, interviews, surveys and calls to gather data before descriptive and statistical analysis was applied to the data. The findings in the paper are that the types of equipment on most sites are fairly standard, ranging from harnesses to the different types of lifelines and SRLs. There is also a difference noticed in the criteria of purchase between the different grades of contractors. The cost of a DIY system is also cheaper than a manufactured system. The lingering attitudes of WSHOs where it is safe as long as there is a certificate, would not help mitigate the accident trends in the construction industry. Only through introducing more testing and checks to the process will DIY systems become safer to use. This paper is only limited to the views of suppliers and contractors, the viewpoint of the PE was not represented in the paper.