Getting fall arrest equipment right
- Safety Flash
- Published on 29 August 2023
- Generated on 18 February 2026
- IMCA SF 21/23
- 2 minute read
Despite a permit to work being in place for a crew member to work at height on a vessel, the length of fall arrest equipment was found to be greater than the height at which the crew member was working
What happened?
A crew person was changing the lamp bulbs on the vessel mast, working at a height of around 4m above the deck. The person was wearing a full set of PPE including a certified safety harness with a lanyard equipped with a shock absorber. There was a Permit to Work in place.
However, the total length of all this safety equipment had not been properly taken into account.
- 1.75 m: the safety lanyard shock absorber
- 2 m: the lanyard itself
- 1.9 m: the approximate height of the person being protected.
This added up to 5.65 m, whereas the person was working 4 m above the deck.
In the case of a fall from height, the fall arrest equipment would have been of no use and the person could have fallen to deck unprotected. He did not fall – no-one was injured.
What went right?
The crew person was wearing fall arrest equipment and there was a Permit to Work in place – some incomplete assessment of risk had at least taken place.
What went wrong?
- The risk assessment was not adequate; no-one thought to check that the proposed work height relative to the length of the fall arrest equipment.
- No-one noticed or considered that the fall arrest safety lanyard was clearly marked “Minimum 6 m clearance distance” (see image).
Actions
Correctly calculate your fall arrest!
Related Safety Flashes
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IMCA SF 16/20
22 May 2020
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IMCA SF 02/10
8 April 2010
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