At 3M Fall Protection, the mission is to bring every worker at height home safely. Every day on your job, you climb to new heights with two things in mind: getting your work done well and returning home safely to those you love. 3M’s job? Helping you get there. With two brands, DBI-SALA® and Protecta®, 3M offer solutions for all your work at height needs.
Are you looking to protect your workers from the risks of working at height? 3M™ offers you comprehensive fall protection solutions for working at heights including; personal protective equipment (PPE), fall protection systems, technical guides and much more!
3M have been innovating in technology for over 70 years, helping thousands of clients from all over the world to address risks related to working at heights. 3M’s objective is protecting your worker’s safety.
Working at height and fall protection solutions
If the work at height cannot be avoided, the next consideration must be the protection of the workforce by the prevention of falls. Collective fall prevention e.g. edge guarding, scaffolding, take precedence over personal controls but there are many situations where Personal Fall Protection is an appropriate control.
3M manufacture an expansive and trustworthy range of PPE equipment and fall protection devices for working at heights: anchorages, harnesses, connectors, rescue and evacuation equipment, horizontal and vertical lifelines and equipment for working in confined spaces.
3M can help you identify the hazards, assess the associated risks and recommend appropriate controls for your particular projects and industry. As each type of working at height may require a specific level of training.
Is your installation safe for working at heights?
Working at heights can be defined as work taking place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury: For example, work on roofs, wind turbines, pylon poles, scaffolding, aerial work platforms, roof tops, ladders, building sites, logistical centres or modes of transport…
However, we must also include in this definition work carried out at or below ground level or in confined spaces where a fall risk exists. Examples include: drains, tunnels, mines, tanks, excavations etc.
Do you know the consequences of falls from height?
Failure to identify the Hazards, assess the Risks and identify and implement effective fall protection controls can have serious consequences which include personal injury and prosecution.
Technical guide for working at heights: the ABC’s of fall protection
Choosing the right equipment is crucial in order to protect worker safety, especially when working at heights. A typical personal fall arrest system (PFAS) includes three components, usually described as the ABC’s of fall protection: A for Anchorage, B for Body support and C for Connectors.
However, we must not forget about another necessary component of any fall protection programme: the descent, rescue and recovery of the worker in the event they suffer a fall.
Anchorages – Anchorages are a secure point of attachment. Anchorage connectors vary by industry, job, type of installation and structure. They must be able to hold fast under the load of a fall, working in suspension or a rescue. Anchor devices secure the rest of the Fall Protection System to a suitable structure. They are available in many types and designs for different applications and may be fixed or portable.
Body support – Harnesses distribute fall forces over the upper thighs, pelvis, chest and shoulders. They provide a connection point on the worker for the personal fall protection system.
Connecting devices – The connecting element provides a secure link between the anchor and the body support and includes: work restraint lanyards, shock absorbing, fall arrest lanyards and self retracting lifelines.
Descent and rescue – Descent and rescue devices are used to lift or lower a worker who has suffered a fall and is left suspended or has been injured, or to retrieve them from a confined space
Fall Protection for Tools – Fall Protection for Tools helps make work environments safer and more productive by reducing dropped object incidents.
To find out more, contact your local Service Centre
