Fall arrest anchors are an essential part of safety gear whenever people must work six feet or more above the ground or the bottom of an excavation. Laws mandate the use of roof anchors on commercial buildings and construction sites, and a secure lifeline makes sense for homeowners, as well.

A fall arrest anchor does just what its name suggests – stop your tumble from a height so you don’t break your neck or some other part of your anatomy. Millions of people are hurt every year in unprotected falls, and many are killed. Pain, suffering, loss of income, permanent injury, and loss of life are high prices to pay for failing to take elementary precautions.

Even with these safeguards, people still take risks by failing to use the equipment they have at hand or having ill-fitting or worn-out gear. It may seem like wasted time to don a harness and check the condition of lines, but time and time again it is proved that taking care of details is important when doing a hazardous job.

Because people tend to cut corners with their safety precautions, architects now design anchoring points in areas where they are easily accessible for maintenance and repair personnel. These are integral and permanent parts of the buildings, while a residential fall arrest anchor is generally installed when needed and removed after the job is done. Window washing equipment is designed to attach to strategically-placed anchoring points.

Residential units are designed to be installed on rafters and removed after the job is finished. Find a steel anchor matched to the pitch of the roofing which can be attached by lifting a shingle and nailing the device to a rafter. Do it yourself anchors are designed to be easy to install and remove.

Homeowners can rig their own anchoring devices, using steel eye bolts for instance, but might be wiser to get a kit with all the needed hardware that has been load tested and inspected for quality and performance. The unit must be strong enough to withstand the impact weight of a falling body, perhaps made heavier with tools and materials. Of course, the lines and safety harness are as important as a properly secured anchoring point.

Adequate anchoring devices properly installed, well-fitted harness, and strong lines in good condition are important for safety. Strong boots with non-slip soles, gloves, and a ladder a few feet taller than the structure are equipment that every do-it-yourself handyman should have.

The use of Fall Arrest Anchor and other safety gear is mandated by federal and state laws in commercial or public work areas that call for working at heights over six feet. Business owners owe it to their employees to adhere to these regulations, and workers owe it to their employers to follow the rules and procedures.

Contractors seeking to address their Fall Arrest Anchors options would be hard-pressed to find a better one-stop solution for all of their design, engineering, installation and inspection needs.