In previous posts we talked about the components of a lifeline, and this time we will focus on how to install one.
Let’s remember that these are safety systems designed to prevent accidents and minimize their damage, should they occur, in connection with work at height.
As Law 31/1995 of November 8 on the Prevention of Occupational Risks tells us, specifically in Article 15, paragraph h, collective protection measures take precedence over personal ones. Therefore, when selecting a suitable safety system, the first thing we need to do is collect the right data.
Why Install a Lifeline?
First, we will consider the reasons that lead us to select lifelines as protection elements.
There are cases in which the structures themselves provide the necessary safety for roofs and certain access points.
It is in the cases where this does not happen that we have to resort to these safety systems.
Once it has been determined that they are really necessary and that we cannot solve the situation with guardrails or walkways that provide collective access, the first thing we will consider is the type of maintenance, work, or access we need to carry out, so we can check whether lifelines are needed across the whole area or only in a defined part of it, where that work or access is to take place.
Where Will the Lifeline Be Installed?
With this information clear, we will move on to a thorough data collection, starting with the roof types, in two very important respects:
- Dimensions, in terms of length, width, and height.
- Characteristics, such as whether it has purlins, what its ridge is like, whether it has a truss, what the roof slope is, and what the thickness of the material it is made of is.
But these are not the only data to take into account when correctly choosing the type of lifeline and carrying out its installation. We will also consider the following aspects:
- The type of maintenance or work to be carried out, which will steer us toward the most suitable types of systems.
- Where the anchors will be placed, which may be the floor, ceiling, or wall.
- How the safety system will be accessed, in case we need to complement the installation with other means of access.
- The appropriate span distance.
- The distance from the safety systems to the fall zones.
- The type of environment we are in, which will tell us what type of material to select for our lifelines.
- Whether auxiliary lifting equipment will be needed, for both personnel and materials.
- What connecting equipment will be needed, such as self-retracting lifelines, energy absorbers, or rope with a rope grab.
- Controlling the possible swing effect.
- The types of anchors for the different structures and whether preliminary anchor tests will be needed.
- Last but not least, drawing up a proper rescue and evacuation plan.
Once all of these aspects have been verified, we will proceed to choose the types of lifelines.
Selecting the Type of Lifeline
After the risk assessment and necessary data collection described above, we will select the type of lifeline best suited to our needs.
Among them, we can find horizontal lifelines and vertical ones, bearing in mind that both can be either temporary or permanent.
Another very important aspect to take into account is the materials these safety systems are made of. As we mentioned earlier, depending on the environment in which they are to be installed, we will have to opt for one material or another.
There are areas with higher salinity, where a suitable material would be stainless steel rather than the more usual aluminum construction.
It is also common to find these types of systems in corrosive areas, so we will have to adapt their components so that they do not deteriorate prematurely, with the risks that this entails.
Installing a Lifeline
Finally, we move on to the installation, for which we will properly follow these steps:
- We will fit the roof with temporary anchor elements so that the installers can carry out the work safely.
- We will carry out a layout of the anchor elements across the surface where the installation will take place, making marks that do not damage the surface.
- We will place the materials to be installed at each position.
- We will proceed with the installation of the lifeline components following the instructions in the manufacturers’ manuals, using the fasteners specified for each type of surface we are working on.
- We will create photographic documentation so that any necessary reports can be prepared afterward.
- The systems themselves and the access points will be identified with plates to indicate that the area has these safety elements.
- All temporary elements that had to be put in place for a safe installation will be removed.
It is important to remember that, for a correct and safe installation of these systems, we must keep two things in mind. First, follow all the instructions and recommendations given by the manufacturers in their manuals and technical data sheets.
Second, the personnel selected to carry out the installation work must be only qualified personnel specialized in this field, who have previously received the necessary training from the manufacturer as accredited installers, because even though the systems are very similar, each manufacturer has its own particularities.
Later on we will analyze all the steps involved in installing a lifeline in more detail.