Horizontal and Vertical Safety Lines: What is the Difference?
Working from a height can be a dangerous task, with the risk of taking a terrifying fall and ever-present danger possible. What’s more, having the crucial assurance that your life is going to be in safe hands is an essential part of your job with a lack of precaution being a deadly consequence. Thankfully though, there is a range of safety solutions to help keep you protected whilst working at height.
Safe, sound and secure, our range of safety lines are created with safety in mind to leave you feeling stress-free, permitting you to focus on the task at hand.
Although it might seem obvious, it’s crucial that you realise the difference between horizontal and vertical falls, and how to suitably protect against them happening. Horizontal falls typically occur where individuals trip while working, standing, or moving on a single level.
On the contrary, a vertical fall will typically happen when an individual falls from one level to another, such as from a telecommunications tower to the ground.
Protecting Against a Horizontal Fall
Protecting yourself against a horizontal fall frequently includes a horizontal lifeline harness and a horizontal lifeline subsystem. The lifeline is comprised of a flexible line which is suspended and connected or secured horizontally to anchorages. A horizontal lifeline subsystem features an energy-absorbing component and a lifeline tension.
The protection system is attached to anchorages at the same elevation. Horizontal work typically utilises three attachments including two anchorages on the structure – at the same elevation – and one attached to the worker.
Protecting Against a Vertical Fall
In a similar vein to horizontal fall protection, a vertical lifeline harness comes with a component of a lifeline subsystem linked via a vertically suspended flexible line. Vertical fall systems also come with a fall arrester. Vertical jobs frequently require only two attachments: one attached to the structure being climbed, and one to the person. While vertical fall systems save the lives of lots of workers, it’s crucial to train your staff on the crucial nature of vertical fall rescue, as there is often a small window of time prior to a suspended worker faces severe injury or death due to suspension trauma if not rescued fast.
If you or your employees work at height, it’s of vital importance that you have a suitable vertical fall arrest system in place at all times. Here at A1 Height Safety, we specialise in installing permanent vertical lifelines and fall arrest systems to suit your requirements and in line with health and safety regulation. Our vertical safety line systems dramatically decrease the likelihood of injury by ensuring that workers are securely anchored whilst working at height. To find out more about the products we offer, please visit our website or contact us today. We’d be delighted to help.
