Posted By Safe System
Easy response that involves no searching for the correct legislation etc..

a) it is YOUR company policy, as-long as it does not put your contractors/employees etc.. in any danger or increase the risk of injury etc.. then tell them that it is irrelevant what other contractors do.. that is company policy..

the amount of times i hear for example.. "we don't 'aff to wear 'ard 'ats on the other site we go to.." .. well on this site you do.. :D

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Totally agree with CJ. Given proper selction there is no reason to use other than a fall arrest harness. In fact it must be the safer option as you could find your restraint harness/landyard failing when a person is catapaulted out of the basket owing to sudden movement. Relying on short length alone for me does not cut it.

Bob

Posted By CFT
Sorry, it doesn't work for me, nor will it given the current 'general' spec of FA equipment.

I have many boom works across the country each year & will comfortably stay with restraint & robust methodology from the contractors, and I will not be permitting the use of FA lanyard whilst working in cherries/booms,I'll stick with what I have accessed as being right and fit for purpose for securing whilst in these types of MEWP's.

Bob, maybe me, but I can't quite fathom out your stance from the first line response.

CFT

Posted By Dave Merchant
Legally and practically a "restraint" system is one in which the user is totally prevented from being able to fall. 100%, cast-iron, gold-plated guaranteed not to. Any lanyard-style link can be used to effect restraint, including those designed for fall arrest, provided they are short enough and anchored in the correct place so as to prevent that fall. You can use a dog lead if you want.

In the case of a MEWP, unless the anchor point is below knee level it doesn't matter what length of lanyard you choose - you'll still be perfectly able to fall out, and hence it's NOT RESTRAINT. You should therefore be using a fall arrest lanyard, and given a fall will probably bring the entire boom crashing through the nearest parked car, you should also be using a different MEWP.

Posted By Nigel
I agree with the principles of Dave's comments although I'd add that no manuafacturer/ supplier of boom-type MEWPs, who knows what they're doing, will rate a boom-type MEWP as a fall arrest system. As Dave states they just can't guarentee it wouldn't fall over. This brings you to the next problem; the position of the anchor point combined with the dimensions of the bucket make 'true' restraint connection impossible (if you want the operative to be able to do any work anyway).

The up shot being that for most boom-type MEWPs, where attachment is most applicable, there is no way of providing attachment! The choices being 90% restraint or potentially vehicle toppling fall arrest.

I understand that the BSEN that covers MEWP design has/ is being updated but I don't know whether the revision has addressed this rather glaring omission.

In the meantime I've gone for work restraint combined with a plethora of other non-PPE based prevention measures.

Posted By Dave Merchant
Nigel - I agree many of the "official attachment points" in MEWPs are in the wrong place, but there's no reason you have to use them.

Fit a U-bolt through the floor or clamp something around the frame at ankle level, label it as "restraint only" and Robert is your mother's brother. It doesn't need testing, certifying or CE marking as it's not going to be used to support any lifted or suspended load (human or otherwise).

Posted By Dave Merchant
Robert K - you're missing the point of restraint; if it really IS restraint then you can't be "catapulted out" even if the MEWP goes Transformers on you. You're physically tied into the basket, period.

Thousands of people make the same error and link up their "restraint" system in a way where they can still topple out. That's wrong on more levels than just the name. It can also be argued (and I do, on frequent occasions) that the sternal/dorsal FA points on a harness cannot provide restraint with a vertically-downward-anchored lanyard, as the end point of the lanyard must be above the level of the basket railings. A waist level attachment point (even via a snug-fitting belt) is a great deal more effective and sensible. Nobody cares a flarp if it's not rated to arrest a fall, as the guy wearing it CANNOT FALL. He may go down with the boom if it falls into a canal, but I can guarantee where to go look for his wallet.

Posted By Robert K Lewis
I think the catapault situation is too severe to be sure that the operative using a restraint harness will not end up hanging outside of the basket. Restraint is to stop persons climbing out not necessarily prevent them being catapaulted out. That is not to say that the FA harness should not be short enough to restrain operatives.

Bob