Loading ...Passive vs. Active Fall Protection Systems: What the Experts Prefer!
A recent discussion group on an online safety site was discussing passive and active fall protection. Safety experts weighed in on their preferences between the two.
First of all, for those of you who need a quick 101 in fall protection, follow along. An example of Passive Fall Protection Systems would be guardrail safety rails, netting or warning lines. It doesn’t require active participation from workers. Active fall protection would be fall harnesses, lanyards, horizontal lifelines, trolley systems and fixed point anchors.
The overwhelming majority of these safety professionals preferred passive systems when it was cost efficient (and you were able to do so) because the less one has to rely on operator, the better. There are so many more opportunities to screw things up when you throw a human into the mix.
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For a contractor, if cost effectiveness is the main factor in determining which system to implement, he or she should note that a guardrail system eventually does pay for itself. As long as the railing remains OSHA compliant and the minimum force ratings are met, the system can be used several times over lessening the total cost after each use. Also, the probability of an incident occurring is now slim to none, so workers compensation and OSHA fines can be a thing of the past. If one purchases car and/or homeowners insurance, they are paying out money ahead of time to protect themselves in case of an accident. That is the same as purchasing a safety system for employees. It may seem somewhat costly upfront, but if a fall were to happen it is better to be prepared than deal with the consequences from negligence.
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