BREAKING THE FALL!

The vital importance of the harness

A workman, on one of the top floors of a high-rise tower being constructed by L&T in Mumbai, was clearing debris accumulated inside a partially open safety net. Suddenly, perhaps because of the weight of the spill-over wet concrete and other debris, the net went over the edge dragging the workman along with it. What saved his life was his full body harness anchored to a lifeline. Even then, he was suspended in mid-air 21 m off the ground, his life virtually hanging by a thread. The safety team swung into immediate action: safety nets were spread on the ground while other workmen held on to the lifeline to arrest any further fall. While the hanging workman was counselled to remain calm, a rescue cage and tower crane were pressed into service and the 45-minute rescue operation ended successfully.

This incident is enough to send chills down our spine but lamentably, the sight of workmen perched high up on a skyscraper or atop a tall pole, stringing a powerline with legs dangling in thin air, often without fall protection devices, is a common sight. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that most accidents causing injuries and fatalities that occur at construction sites are due to FFH (Fall From Heights). FFH includes falling through fragile roofs, falling from ladders, slipping, tripping, falling from heights and falling objects, material or tools. Surprisingly, this holds true the world over. Regrettably, although the quality of present day fall protection methods and devices have improved immeasurably, incidents of FFH have not significantly reduced strongly hinting at human error or carelessness as primary causes.

EHS Heads and managers at L&T Construction have a firm mandate to bring FFH down to zero. “There are many ways through which safety can be assured while working at heights ranging from proper planning and inspection of the job site to wearing appropriate and properly functioning personal protective equipment,” says P Nagarajan, Head – EHS, B&F IC, “and one of the most recommended types of PPE when working at heights is the full body harness.” Unfortunately, a lot of construction workers or people who work at heights don’t usually see the importance of wearing a full body harness until they suffer a fall and are lucky to live to tell the tale. “Our aim therefore is prevention rather than cure,” affirms Nagarajan.

The evolving harness

A safety harness is a crucial component of the personal fall arrest system that keeps a user suspended upright in case of a fall, supporting the person till rescue arrives. It was originally inspired by the parachute, designed to keep the falling person upright. Earlier, body belts were used but these are discouraged because the fall forces are usually concentrated on the abdomen, spine or mid-section; in fact, in some cases, the person could be thrown off by the jerk of the fall. In the case of a full body harness, these forces are distributed throughout the body thereby dramatically reducing the risk of injury. Since the spine is always vertical, the impact of the fall is lessened thus increasing the level of safety.

The earliest avatar of the harness was made of different types of fabric webbing sewn together in various configurations made from synthetic fibres with material characteristics consistent with polyamide and polyester.

Tailor-made harnesses for L&T Construction

The full body harness webbing used at L&T Construction is made of nylon, with a front-D ring to arrest falls. It has a Class-L attachment with a double lanyard (Polyamide Rope -12mm) with a shock absorber, double scaffold hooks, shoulder & thigh adjustable straps and a tool pouch near the thigh. It is also equipped with a fall Indicator and is ISI or CE Certified.

Preparing the ground

Start with the anchor:

The harness should be connected to an anchorage point, which is above the shoulder height of the workman and strong enough to bear a weight of 5000 lb per employee attached to the point.

“At the end of the day, even with the best equipment, proper training and awareness are what keeps workmen safe at sites,” shares Santhosh Bhaskar, the safety head at Statue of Unity, for whom FFH was an ever-present danger. “It is essential to first discuss with your co-workers and determine the kind of safety equipment required right at the beginning,” he says. “Of course, they have to be well trained to know how to use their safety equipment,” he adds with a tight smile. It is important to scan the work area for potential hazards before starting the job, ensure all the equipment are steady at ground level, be aware of the weather conditions especially if inclement weather is predicted and use the correct tools for the job. “This is all common sense but then that is not very common at construction sites.” Santhosh’s dry wit is characteristic of him.

Ladders are an important piece of access equipment when working at heights and it is very important to ensure that stepladders have a locking device to hold the front and back open. Workmen need to always have a three-point contact while using ladders (two hands and one leg or two legs and one hand). A straight or extension ladder should be at least a foot away from the surface it rests on, for every 4 feet of height, extended to at least 3 feet over the top edge and fastened to an upper support. Care should be taken to prevent the base of the ladder from slipping. Apart from wearing slip-resistant shoes, a workman should avoid standing higher than the third rung of a ladder from top, avoid leaning or stretching too far when on it, always have someone to support the ladder from below and never make do with damaged equipment.

It pays to remain harnessed

Harnesses need to be carefully chosen with the correct add-ons and worn by workmen throughout the entirety of the job. “The more you wear a harness, the more you will feel comfortable with it,” offers M Muruganantham, an EHS professional having completed several successful tenures at high-rises including Omkar 1973, the tallest residential towers built by L&T. Harnesses often come in universal sizes and need to be adjusted to fit a workman properly to suit individual heights and weights. Some come with quick-connect, pass-through, and tongue buckles that are suitable if the harness needs to be shared between co-workers.