safety lifeline wire rope size factory

Lifelines, safety belts, and lanyards shall be used only for employee safeguarding. Any lifeline, safety belt, or lanyard actually subjected to in-service loading, as distinguished from static load testing, shall be immediately removed from service and shall not be used again for employee safeguarding.

Lifelines shall be secured above the point of operation to an anchorage or structural member capable of supporting a minimum dead weight of 5,400 pounds.

Lifelines used on rock-scaling operations, or in areas where the lifeline may be subjected to cutting or abrasion, shall be a minimum of 7⁄8 -inch wire core manila rope. For all other lifeline applications, a minimum of 3⁄4 -inch manila or equivalent, with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds, shall be used.

Safety belt lanyard shall be a minimum of 1⁄2 -inch nylon, or equivalent, with a maximum length to provide for a fall of no greater than 6 feet. The rope shall have a nominal breaking strength of 5,400 pounds.

All safety belt and lanyard hardware shall be drop forged or pressed steel, cadmium plated in accordance with type 1, Class B plating specified in Federal Specification QQ-P-416. Surface shall be smooth and free of sharp edges.

All safety belt and lanyard hardware, except rivets, shall be capable of withstanding a tensile loading of 4,000 pounds without cracking, breaking, or taking a permanent deformation.

The Gemtor™complete Horizontal Lifeline System is a simple, effective and economical means for achieving complete fall protection and worker mobility in a variety of elevated work sites.

The 5° angle fixed length, pre-engineered Horizontal Lifeline System (HLL) is for use by 3 workers in fall restraint or 2 in fall arrest. This 3rd party engineered horizontal line kit is a cost-effective way to have multiple workers on the roof with room to move freely. A 20’ lifeline will have a 5° total sag angle vs. the 30° sag angle with our model number 1323. This kit includes our coil non-mechanical energy absorber that is specified for use with this HLL System. Super Anchor Safety fixed length horizontal lifelines, when used with our specified anchorage devices provide an engineered system for rafter spacing of 10’ up to 20’. For accurate rigging, each fixed length horizontal lifeline is labeled for the correct rafter spacing.

Most folks think lifelines when it comes to fall protection, but if you quiz them about how these systems work or when they are good fits for an application, they come up short. So what is a cable-based fall protection system, and what are the pros and cons of lifeline systems?

Cable fall protection systems take many names, including rat lines, HLL’s, and horizontal lifelines just to name a few. In their simplest form, cable fall protection systems consist of wire rope secured by a series of terminal and intermediate anchor points. By connecting a body harness and lanyard to a shuttle traveling the length of the line, a worker can safely move along a horizontal (or vertical) plane. Cable systems are deceptively simple in design, but done properly, they are actually highly engineered fall protection systems.

In a previous post titled “Is My Horizontal Lifeline Safe?”, we shared pictures of some home-made rat lines we have encountered in the field. Lifelines made from combinations of wire rope, wire rope clips, and turnbuckles may look safe, but these home-made solutions share little in common with the engineered lifelines we design and install at DFP.

With years of knowledge, our team can supply everything from wire rope through to individual and bespoke fittings used in these systems. Some of our main components are listed below:

M12 Thread with a swaging dimension of 12.5mm. This is smaller than the standard 16mm dimension usually associated with 8mm rope, which makes it popular among engineers swaging on site using an Electro/Hydraulic hand tool.

1910.29(c)(11) - The employer must ensure that each horizontal lifeline is designed, installed, and used under the supervision of a qualified person; and is part of a complete personal fall arrest system that maintains a safety factor of at least two.

1910.140(c)(5) - A competent person or qualified person must inspect each knot in a lanyard or vertical lifeline to ensure that it meets the requirements of paragraphs (c)(4) and (5) of this section before any employee uses the lanyard or lifeline

1926.104(b) - Lifelines shall be secured above the point of operation to an anchorage or structural member capable of supporting a minimum dead weight of 5,400 pounds.

1926.140(c) - Lifelines used on rock-scaling operations, or in areas where the lifeline may be subjected to cutting or abrasion, shall be a minimum of 7/8 in. wire core manila rope. For all other lifeline applications, a minimum of 3/4 in. manila or equivalent, with a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 lbs., shall be used.

A complete assembly of engineered components required to rig a HLLS (horizontal lifeline system). Designed specifically for use with SAS commercial anchors, these kits can also be used with other mfg. equipment when engineered by a qualified person. Each Kit contains attachment bolts, lock nuts, couplers and wire rope. Specify the HLL length, and factory swage option at time of ordering. We also offer numerous parts to achieve a HLL system that works for your products including:

Rigging Kits: our standard turnbuckle/clamps/thimbles/sliders/energy absorber for lifeline lengths up to 120’. They include everything you need for a complete installation except for the cable. Available in galvanized or stainless-steel finishes.

Turnbuckles: used in the horizontal lifeline system to adjust wire rope length and tension. Available in galvanized or stainless-steel finishes. Use 1 turnbuckle in systems up to 60’ and 2 turnbuckles in systems 60’ – 120’.

SAS1050-G  Includes 1 ea. #1065-AS energy absorber, 1 ea. #1058 turnbuckle, 6 ea. #1056 cable clamps, 2 ea. #1057 rope thimbles, 2 ea. #1087-SA or SC couplers, 1 ea. #1081-S coupler, 4 ea. #5010-SM PPE connector "O" rings and attachment hardware (2 ea. 5/8"x2.0" bolts, 3 ea. 5/8"x2.0" bolts, 1 ea. 5/8"x2-1/4" bolt, 1 ea. 9/16"x3.0 bolt, 2 ea. 3/8"x1.0" bolts).  Cable sold separately.

Most folks think lifelines when it comes to fall protection, but if you quiz them about how these systems work or when they are good fits for an application, they come up short. So what is a cable-based fall protection system, and what are the pros and cons of lifeline systems?

Cable fall protection systems take many names, including rat lines, HLL’s, and horizontal lifelines just to name a few. In their simplest form, cable fall protection systems consist of wire rope secured by a series of terminal and intermediate anchor points. By connecting a body harness and lanyard to a shuttle traveling the length of the line, a worker can safely move along a horizontal (or vertical) plane. Cable systems are deceptively simple in design, but done properly, they are actually highly engineered fall protection systems.

In a previous post titled “Is My Horizontal Lifeline Safe?”, we shared pictures of some home-made rat lines we have encountered in the field. Lifelines made from combinations of wire rope, wire rope clips, and turnbuckles may look safe, but these home-made solutions share little in common with the engineered lifelines we design and install at DFP.

OSHA regulations say nothing about the materials required to build a lifeline, but do include specific language describing system performance in the event of a fall:

Horizontal lifelines shall be designed, installed, and used, under the supervision of a qualified person, as part of a complete personal fall arrest system, which maintains a safety factor of at least two.

If you are wondering which system (cable or rigid rail) is best, prepare for an ambiguous answer. Cable fall protection systems offer many benefits, but they aren’t suitable for every application. By working with a qualified fall protection company, you can make an informed system selection on the engineered fall protection that best meets your application needs and budget. To learn more about cable fall protection systems, contact the safety experts at Diversified Fall Protection for further assistance.

When used in combination with personal protective equipment, a horizontal lifeline can arrest a fall, limiting the amount of force that is transferred both to the worker and the fall arrest system. This same combination of horizontal lifeline, body harness, and lanyard can also serve as a fall restraint system, limiting the the worker’s ability to move close enough to fall over an unprotected leading edge. The fall restraint and fall arrest properties of horizontal lifelines make the HLL an integral part of many fall protection systems.

Diversified Fall Protection a complete turnkey provider of OSHA compliant horizontal lifeline systems. Contact us for expert assistance with your fall arrest, fall restraint and fall protection requirements

Construction sites and manufacturing plants can be hectic, with large teams of workers carrying out different tasks. Everyone is doing their part to get the job done. As a business owner, you know the importance of high productivity on each of your jobsites. But more than that, you care about your employees’ safety throughout every step of the process.

When your crew is working at height, they are at a greater risk of falling and sustaining injuries. Ensuring compliance with OSHA safety standards keeps them safer and more confident as they work. Self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) and fall protection lanyards are two devices that help keep your workers safer and OSHA-compliant.

“Fall restraint” keeps workers from falling by limiting their radius of work. Fall restraint systems can be anything from a set length of rope or cable to guardrails or barriers that keep workers within a set space.

Fall protection lanyards, also known as safety lanyards, can exist under either category of fall protection. They often consist of rope, webbing, or cable and are usually used in shorter lengths. As energy-absorbing lanyards, they connect a worker’s harness to an anchor point and stop their fall during a fall event.

Like fall protection lanyards, self-retracting lifelines consist of webbing or wire rope. They serve as the connection between a worker’s body support and an anchor point, and their lengths vary depending on the job requirements. Like seat belts, they automatically retract into an overhead housing unit.

If a worker falls, an SRL will use an internal braking mechanism to slow their body to a complete stop. This safety feature also mimics a seat belt’s ability to stop unwinding during sudden and sharp movements.

If the fall hazard can be avoided by work positioning or fall restraint, then fall protection lanyards can be the perfect solution to keep your workers safer on the jobsite. Plus, fall protection lanyards are usually less expensive than SRLs, making them a budget-friendly safety option.

Since fall protection lanyards use a free-hanging rope or cable, they keep workers within a set radius, so your workers can have peace of mind knowing they can work without approaching any ledges or workplace hazards.

If your jobsite requires self-retracting lifelines to keep your crew safer and more secure, Rigid Lifelines is here to help. Our inventory of self-retracting lifelines is great for applications where the attachment point is overhead. Compatible with our Rigid Lifelines overhead fall protection systems, our SRLs feature lightweight, high-impact resistant polymer or aluminum casings that can house our galvanized cable in lengths from 20 to 50 feet. As a leader in the fall protection industry, we offer a range of products to ensure you’ll find the right SRL for all of your workers.

Colorado Safety Supply Company was founded in 2012 by Valerie Boyd, built on a passion for making a difference in multiple industries that have become close to her heart. What started as a business built on fall protection has evolved into a comprehensive hub for over thousands of safety items and related training and certification that’s still growing. Colorado Safety Supply Company is proud to be 100% woman-owned, with M/WBE, DBE, SBE, and WOSB certifications.