Fall protection tools for working at height

Working at height is very common in sectors such as construction, electrical installations, wind turbine work and arboriculture work, among others.

When we refer to these sectors, people usually work at a height of more than 2 metres and, depending on the case, they may be working at several hundred metres. Since certain jobs involve a certain height, there may be problems with tools falling and, consequently, we can injure people or objects below.

To prevent tools from falling, it is important, and in some cases mandatory, to have anti-fall safety systems. To do this, we can use certain tools or measures specially designed for work at heights to avoid a scare.

Anti-fall tools are a different version from what we are used to seeing in any toolbox, and these tools have an “extra feature”, which is usually a kind of ring, through which we can attach an anti-fall strap and so in case the tool slips out of our hand it will always remain tied to us.

In the market we can find different types of anti-fall tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, hammers and at the same time different types of anti-fall devices such as belts, straps or wristbands.

Types of fall protection tools:

There are many different types of anti-fall tools, but as we mentioned above, this type of tool stands out for having a ring on which we can attach an accessory that prevents the tool from falling and causing any problems.

Types of fall protection accessories:

It is important to note that, as we have mentioned, a fall arrest tool is still a tool with a special coupling. But the tool can still fall, so we will need accessories to attach the tool to a fixed element. On the market we can find different types of fall arrest accessories, but the most commonly used ones may be the following:

Fall arrest belts:

Fall arrest belts consist of a kind of belt with certain hooks to which you can attach a strap with one end to the belt and the other to the tool you are using. In this way, the tool is always attached to you and you do not have any problems if the tool falls.

Anti-fall straps:

The straps are the connecting element between the fixed point (the belt) and the tool. Among the different anti-fall straps we can find different types of materials, lengths, maximum weights and hooks. That is why it is important to know the type of work we are going to do and make an assessment of the material we need.

Wristbands:

Wristbands are similar to belts, but instead of tying them to the waist, they are tied to the wrist, which will keep the tool securely fastened and prevent falls. This type of anti-fall wristband has a weight limit of up to 1 kg.

Retractable tape:

The retractable lanyard consists of a small mechanism, which, as its name suggests, can be extended to make the tool easier to use. One end of the lanyard is tied to the belt and the other end is tied to the tool to prevent falls.

Sectors in which fall protection tools are used:

The sectors in which the different anti-fall tools can be used are varied but the most notable are the following:

Anti-fall tools for wind power stations:

Fall protection accessories and tools are very useful in the installation of wind farms, since in these cases the operators work at great heights and the chances of these tools falling can be high.

Fall protection tools for oil stations:

Oil stations or offshore gas stations are an important point of use for this type of tool due to the sensitivity involved in the fall of a tool in such installations. This is why both belts and straps are an important element.

Fall protection tools for the construction sector:

The construction sector is another important point for the use of fall protection tools due to the risk of an element falling and injuring people who may be working on other levels. Safety straps along with a belt are two important elements in this type of sector.

Fall protection tools for the arboriculture sector:

People who work in arboriculture tend to spend a lot of time in places at a certain height and with a lot of movement depending on the tree. That is why anti-fall tool accessories in this sector are a mandatory safety point. Safety straps in this type of sector have to be thicker since they have to support a greater load, but it must be taken into account that they have to break when reaching this maximum load since if when cutting a branch there is a snag we want the worker to be safe.

Bianditz anti-fall tool accessories:

In the Bianditz catalogue we can find 3 types of fall arrest accessories for use in the sectors we have mentioned. On the one hand, we have safety straps with loads ranging from 1 to 4.5 kg, on the other hand, the wrist strap that can support a load of up to 1 kg and finally, the safety belts.