Posted By Stuart Scott
Im having trouble finding written information on whether you are, risk assessment permiting, able to use a vehicles tow point as an anchor for a lanyard or similar when working near an open man hole.

The vehicle could be parked on a public high way.

Any body got any pointers???

Posted By Pat Hannaway
Hi Stuart,
I presume a lanyard is being used (a) to prevent a fall into a mahole or (b)as a means of rescue in case someone falls into a manhole.
If it is being used as a fall arrest device you would have to have approx. 6.5 metres clear distance below the point at which the lanyard is being used: to give the safety webbing a safe distance to act. As few manholes are that deep, plus they also have step-irons or ladders that could strike whoever is attached to the lanyard, I would not recommend this.

Additionally, if a harness is being used in scenario (b), to rescue someone who has fallen down a mahole they are totally unsuitable. From personal experience, even two fit men will have difficulty lifting someone out of a manhole using a rope / lanyard. See the Confined Spaces Regulations: employers to make provision for emergency situations.

I would recommed, if possible, that if working directly above, or in a manhole, a safety winch (e.g. Didsbury) and fall arrest / rescue harness should be used. Training is essential in the use of both items of safety equipment, and also training for entry into confined spaces.

Posted By Ron Hunter
Think work at height/heirarchy of risk control. Don't try and mitigate the effects of a fall, rather prevent it from happening. If someone is working near an opening (& presumably it cannot be closed or covered over), then erect a barrier around it.

Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Stuart

Like Ron says hierarchy(hate spelling that word) of controls. In addition I think it is a question of what can go wrong.

Car driven off by co worker (maybe he is a lone worker ?).

Roll away as brakes are poorly maintained/applied (maybe leave it in gear) ?

Effectiveness of system on inclines e.g. angle of karabiner attack on round end of ball hitch, could it slip off.

Lanyard goes from horizontal to vertical therefore must bend at some point. Does this chafe on concrete/metal edges and damage lanyard?


Grip effectiveness of vehicle in heavy rain/ice/snow when on grass or mud.

Effectiveness of coupling lanyard to ball hitch, is the lanyard choking a karabiner etc as the only effective way of getting it secured to ball hitch, leading to karabiner weakness due to side loading and failure on a fall?

You get the drift. There are loads of ways of doing this wrong and maybe only a few for doing it right.

That said if we had the benefit of being there on the ground, seeing all the details, a reasonable method could probably be worked out.

Kind regards

Jeff

Posted By Descarte
depending on the area where you are you could use a screw in earth anchoring syetm, with mulitple achor points or if going down manholes can you not use a tripod or am I missing something?

Posted By Martin Gray
Stuart, as part of your risk assessment you should consider if the work is being carried out on a 'live' roadway, if so I would not recommend that a lanyard is connected to any vehicle. Should the unfortunate RTC occur then the consequences of being attached to a vehicle do not bear thinking about. If you are only using restrain why not consider using a man anchor which will be flat on the ground and can be positioned at the correct working distance. The vehicle can then be use as additional protection for the area of work