Can I tie off to a guardrail or rebar in a pinch?

No. Guardrails, rebar, conduit, and similar points are not rated anchors and can fail under fall forces. Always connect to an engineered anchor rated for 5,000 pounds per worker or an approved anchorage connector.

Do I need a rescue plan for fall arrest?

Yes. OSHA requires provisions for prompt rescue of a worker after a fall. A suspended worker can suffer suspension trauma within minutes, so you must have equipment, trained rescuers, and a written, practiced plan ready before work begins.

When must a harness or lanyard be removed from service?

Remove and destroy any component that has arrested a fall or shows cuts, frays, burns, chemical damage, deployed shock absorbers, or corroded hardware. Inspect the full system before every use and remove anything that fails inspection.

How accurate is OSHA Scan at detecting improper fall arrest setups?

OSHA Scan evaluates fall arrest setups. It checks harness fit, anchor location, connector type, and available clearance, and returns each deficiency with the specific OSHA citation.

OSHA Scan

An Improper Fall Arrest System Fails at the Worst Possible Moment

A harness only saves a life when the whole system is set up right

A personal fall arrest system is only as good as its weakest link — the anchor, the connectors, the harness fit, and the clearance below. A wrong anchor, an overlong lanyard, or a loose harness turns life-saving gear into false confidence that fails on impact. OSHA Scan analyzes job-site photos to flag improper anchors, incorrect connectors, poor harness use, and inadequate fall clearance before a worker trusts their life to the setup.

An improper fall arrest system is a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) that is missing a component, uses the wrong component, or is set up so it cannot stop a fall safely. A complete PFAS needs an anchor rated for 5,000 pounds per worker (or engineered to a 2:1 safety factor), a full-body harness, and a connector such as a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline — all rigged to limit free fall to 6 feet and arresting force to 1,800 pounds.
In the field, problems show up as anchoring to inadequate points like guardrails, rebar, or conduit; using a body belt instead of a full-body harness; connecting a long lanyard that allows too much free fall; leaving harness straps loose or twisted; and choking lanyards around beams instead of using rated connectors. The most overlooked error is inadequate fall clearance — not enough distance below the worker for the system to deploy before they hit a lower level.
The danger is that an improper system looks like protection. The worker is clipped in and feels safe, so they lean, reach, and work at the edge with confidence. The failure only reveals itself during the fall — when the anchor pulls out, the lanyard is too long, or the worker hits the ground before the deceleration device engages. That hidden gap is exactly what photo-based detection is built to expose.

How strong does a fall arrest anchor point have to be?

Each anchor point used for personal fall arrest must support at least 5,000 pounds per attached worker, or be part of a system designed and installed under the supervision of a qualified person with a safety factor of at least two.

Can I use a body belt for fall arrest?

No. Body belts have been prohibited for fall arrest since 1998 because they concentrate arresting forces on the abdomen and can cause serious internal injury. Only a full-body harness is permitted for personal fall arrest.

What is the maximum free-fall distance OSHA allows?

A personal fall arrest system must limit free fall to 6 feet or less and prevent the worker from contacting a lower level. It must also limit the maximum arresting force on the body to 1,800 pounds when used with a full-body harness.

Why is fall clearance so important?

You must have enough distance below the worker for the system to stop the fall before they hit a lower level. Clearance includes lanyard length, deceleration distance, harness stretch, the worker's height, and a safety margin — miscalculating it is a leading cause of fatal arrests.