Year ago, it was considered normal for men construct sky scrapers without first anchoring themselves safely to prevent falls. Since then, new Health and Safety legislation has come into force in most countries, and it is now the employers duty to build safe working systems into their procedures to prevent injury. For this purpose, fall arrest anchors were developed for working at heights. A system such as this is the final prevention measure to keep a person from injury in the event of a fall from their working platform.

Although these systems stop a worker from falling to the ground, it is better practice to ensure that a physical barrier exists between the worker and the edge of their platform. This first prevents the fall. The roof anchor can be used in addition to the barrier as an additional safety measure in case the barrier fails.

These anchors consist of a body harness which is attached by wire, strap or rope to an anchor on the roof of the building or structure being worked on. If the worker falls from their working platform, they will not fall far, but will be stopped by the strap and hang above ground.

In this way, these systems prevent injury which would be incurred if the person was allowed to drop to the ground. This is especially important when the worker is high up where a fall from such a distance would possibly result in serious injury or even death.

In occupations such as construction, or the maintenance of sky scrapers, harnesses for safety should be used in all circumstances. Whether the worker is installing an air conditioning unit, or washing the windows of a tall building, the safety harness can mean that they are able to return home safely at the end of the working day.

New developments by safety professionals in industries requiring work at heights has meant that these fall arrest systems have become easier and safer to use. Older systems contained harnesses that were cumbersome to move around in and heavy to wear. These are now lightweight and made of strong fabric which can be worn over a uniform or overalls. The older harnesses were also capable of causing pain after prolonged periods of hanging should rescue services not be able to reach the user quickly. An additional strap can now be added to the system which loops down under the feet so that the weight of the body is not resting in the harness at the groin where it could cause discomfort.

To further increase the safety of these harnesses, the strap which connects the harness to the roof anchor can contain what is known as an inertia reel. Instead of the person coming to an abrupt halt which could cause whiplash and bruising, the wearer is, instead, slowed down during his drop so that the stop is more comfortable and less damage is done.

Because of these systems, the number of injuries relating to occupations that carry out work at height has significantly. The fall arrest Roof Anchors should form an essential part of any occupational safety procedures for these industries.

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