Published on: May 20, 2025
Comprehensive Fall Protection for Aircraft Maintenance and Rooftop Access
Challenge: Ensuring worker safety during elevated aircraft maintenance and diverse rooftop access.
Solution: Engineered Active Fall Arrest & Work Restraint Systems | Rigid Rail, Kee Line®, Vertical Lifeline
Benefits: Enhanced Safety, OSHA/ANSI Compliance, and Operational Efficiency.
Elevating Fall Protection with Flexible Lifeline Systems
Southwest Airlines, a leader in domestic air travel, has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to worker safety with the completion of its new 129,000 square foot tech ops maintenance hangar at Baltimore International Airport (BWI). This state-of-the-art facility incorporates comprehensive fall protection solutions designed and installed by Flexible Lifeline Systems (FLS), ensuring the safety of personnel working on and around aircraft and accessing the hangar’s rooftops.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The project involved the design, engineering, and installation of fall protection systems within the new maintenance hangar at BWI. The scope encompassed both overhead fall arrest systems for aircraft maintenance areas and rooftop safe access, restraint systems for diverse roof types, and personal fall protection of fixed ladders. The collaboration leveraged a long-standing relationship between Southwest Airlines and Flexible Lifeline Systems, dating back over two decades, and involved close coordination with the general contractor for the project.
THE CHALLENGE
Aircraft maintenance demands rigorous safety protocols, particularly concerning elevated work. Ensuring comprehensive fall arrest protection for mulitple users over large aircraft encompassing fuselages, wings, and empennage, can present engineering challenges. Additionally, providing safe access and fall restraint for workers accessing and working on both membrane and standing seam metal roof surfaces required adaptable and non-penetrating solutions to maintain structural integrity and warranty. The project also emphasized early integration of fall protection design into the overall construction plans to optimize efficiency and prevent costly rework.
THE SOLUTION
Flexible Lifeline Systems provided comprehensive work at height solutions tailored to the specific needs of the BWI hangar.
Rooftop Safe Access & Restraint Systems:
- FLS designed, engineered, supplied, installed, and certified three rooftop horizontal lifeline systems for three user fall restraint.
- Kee Line was identified as the ideal solution to protect both distinct roof types, facilitating safe transitions for workers from ladders to the rooftop.
- For the membrane roof, anchors were strategically placed on top of the membrane and secured to the metal deck using toggle bolts. This system extended approximately 70 feet.
- On the standing seam metal roof, anchors attached directly to the standing seam using non-penetrating S-5 Clamps, safeguarding the roof’s integrity. These systems totaled approximately 300 feet.
- Three sets of user equipment were supplied with the project, each comprising one Kee Line Mini removable traveler and one twin-leg 6ft lanyard.
Aircraft Maintenance Arrest Systems:
- FLS designed, engineered, and installed overhead fall protection system arrays for three aircraft parking locations.
- These arrays primarily consisted of Engineered Rigid Rail Fall Arrest systems, strategically positioned to protect the fuselage and both wings for all three parking locations.
- Two of the parking locations received additional Rigid Rail system arrays to provide comprehensive coverage above the empennage and rear stabilizers of the aircraft.
- Each system was robustly supported by new steel fabrications, seamlessly integrated with the overhead structure of the metal building.
The project’s success was significantly enhanced by FLS’s early integration into the design process. The FLS Account Manager, initiated discussions in 2022, allowing FLS Sales and Engineering to collaborate with the Southwest Airlines team and the architecture firm to design the fall protection systems before bid drawings were released. This proactive approach ensured FLS became the preferred and specified vendor, enabling them to provide crucial data like loads, connection points, and clearance envelopes well ahead of other trades, streamlining the overall design and installation phases.
THE BENEFITS
The implementation of these comprehensive fall protection systems provides numerous benefits for Southwest Airlines and its personnel at the BWI hangar:
- Enhanced Worker Safety: The primary benefit is the significant enhancement of worker safety, minimizing the risk of falls during aircraft maintenance and rooftop access. This aligns with Southwest Airlines’ uncommon commitment to providing adequate fall protection for its employees and contractors.
- OSHA/ANSI Compliance: The FLS-designed and installed systems ensure full compliance with OSHA and ANSI fall protection standards, mitigating regulatory risks and fostering a safer work environment.
- Operational Efficiency: The robust and well-integrated fall protection systems allow maintenance crews to work efficiently and confidently, without compromising safety.
- Long-Term Partnership: This project further solidifies the long-standing relationship between Southwest Airlines and Flexible Lifeline Systems, with FLS looking forward to continuing to serve Southwest Airlines at BWI through annual inspections and recertifications.
- Proven Expertise: The project stands as a testament to Flexible Lifeline Systems’ reputation for providing reliable rigid rail fall arrest systems to the aviation industry for manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations.
