All portal horizontal rail, freestanding ladder & stair systems, jibs, counter-weighted rail systems and user equipment provided by Flexible Lifeline Systems meet applicable industry performance standards and OSHA and ANSI regulatory requirements.
When supplied as a complete solution, Flexible Lifeline Systems assures Compatibility of Fall Protection Components.
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502 Subpart M Appendix C Section II states: “Component compatibility considerations.” Ideally, a personal fall arrest system is designed, tested, and supplied as a complete system. However, it is common practice for lanyards, connectors, lifelines, deceleration devices, body belts and body harnesses to be interchanged since some components wear out before others. The employer and employee should realize that not all components are interchangeable. For instance, a lanyard should not be connected between a body belt (or harness) and a deceleration device of the self-retracting type since this can result in additional free fall for which the system was not designed. Any substitution or change to a personal fall arrest system should be fully evaluated or tested by a competent person to determine that it meets the standard, before the modified system is put in use.
The mixing of manufacturer’s equipment is also outlined in ANSI Z359.6-2016 section 4 paragraph 4.2.2: “Compatibility. All directly connected components of an active fall protection system shall be compatible, such that they perform as intended and cannot unintentionally disengage on their own during the use of the system or during a fall event. Equipment and hardware for all components of an active fall protection system shall be specified to provide compatible connections. Combining equipment from different manufacturers is permitted as long as the components are compatible.” Since ANSI Z359.6-2016 is a national consensus standard, and compliance is not required by law, users have the responsibility to determine if the standard is applicable to their workplace. They may also wish to consult their insurance carrier or their legal counsel regarding their liability and their company’s liability if they choose to use safety equipment in a manner inconsistent from what is advised by the Flexible Lifeline Systems or any other manufacturer.