Fall Arresters
Fall arrest blocks work on the basis similar to a seat belt, in the event that you start to fall, this will cause the block to lock and prevent the block from paying out any more rope, the more advanced blocks will have an energy absorber built into the mechanism, this will take the shock out of your fall as the block locks.
Originally designed as an overhead system and often deployed on a track, fall arrest blocks have made their way into use as a horizontal system, although initially there was controversy in that in the event of a fall, the ratcheting system would lock periodically during the decent in the event of a fall to eventually allow the user to hit the floor, most modern Fall arrest blocks now lock and stay locked in the event of a fall that would result in injury.
Fall arrest blocks are an ideal solution when working on a roof that has an irregular distance to the edge where usually a rope and grab would be needed, you would need to stop and readjust the attachment to suit the roof edge, the fall arrest block will automatically pay out the required rope without manual adjustment.
Regardless of type, ensuring that you have the correct equipment for the task you are performing is paramount, a Fall arrest block is only as good as the tether point you are connecting to, having a lanyard which automatically pays out a variable length represents additional risks, ensuring that the max payout will reach to the fall risk is a good practice, if this is not possible or you have a variable leading edge ensure that whatever you are connecting to is rated AND TESTED to fall arrest rather than restraint, this will ensure that in the event of a fall, the system will reduce the chance of injury, if there is a chance of arrest, rather than restraint, a rescue plan needs to be considered and accounted for.
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