WAC 296-45-25510   Fall protection.  (1) Personal fall arrest equipment shall meet the requirements of WAC 296-155-245.

     (2) Specific requirements for lineman's belts, safety straps and lanyards.

     (a) All fabric used for safety straps must withstand an A.C. dielectric test of not less than 25,000 volts per foot "dry" for 3 minutes, without visible deterioration.

     (b) All fabric and leather used must be tested for leakage current and must not exceed 1 milliampere when a potention of 3,000 volts is applied to the electrodes positioned 12 inches apart.

     (c) Direct current tests may be permitted in lieu of alternating current tests.

     (d) The cushion part of the body belt must:

     (i) Contain no exposed rivets on the inside;

     (ii) Be at least three (3) inches in width;

     (iii) Be at least five thirty-seconds (5/32) inch thick, if made of leather; and

     (iv) Have pocket tabs that extended at least 1 1/2 inches down and three (3) inches back of the inside of circle of each D ring for riveting on plier or tool pockets. On shifting D belts, this measurement for pocket tabs must be taken when the D ring section is centered.

     (e) A maximum of four (4) tool loops must be so situated on the body belt that four (4) inches of the body belt in the center of the back, measuring from D ring to D ring, must be free of tool loops, and any other attachments.

     (f) Suitable copper, steel, or equivalent liners must be used around bar of D rings to prevent wear between these members and the leather or fabric enclosing them.

     (g) All stitching must be of a minimum 42-pound weight nylon or equivalent thread and must be lock stitched. Stitching parallel to an edge must not be less than three-sixteenths (3/16) inch from edge of narrowest member caught by the thread. The use of cross stitching on leather is prohibited.

     (h) The keeper of snaphooks must have a spring tension that will not allow the keeper to begin to open with a weight of 2 1/2 pounds or less, but the keeper of snaphooks must begin to open with a weight of four (4) pounds, when the weight is supported on the keeper against the end of the nose.

     (i) Testing of lineman's safety straps, body belts and lanyards must be in accordance with the following procedure:

     (i) Attach one end of the safety strap or lanyard to a rigid support, the other end must be attached to a 250-pound canvas bag of sand;

     (ii) Allow the 250-pound canvas bag of sand to free fall 4 feet for (safety strap test) and 6 feet for (lanyard test); in each case stopping the fall of the 250-pound bag;

     (iii) Failure of the strap or lanyard must be indicated by any breakage, or slippage sufficient to permit the bag to fall free of the strap or lanyard. The entire "body belt assembly" must be tested using one D ring. A safety strap or lanyard must be used that is capable of passing the "impact loading test" and attached as required in (i)(i) of this subsection. The body belt must be secured to the 250-pound bag of sand at a point to simulate the waist of a man and allowed to drop as stated in (i)(ii) of this subsection. Failure of the body belt must be indicated by any breakage, or slippage sufficient to permit the bag to fall free of the body belt.

     (3) Body belts, safety straps, lanyards, lifelines, and body harnesses shall be inspected before use each day to determine that the equipment is in safe working condition. Defective equipment may not be used.

     (4) Employees shall not wear climbers while doing work where they are not required. Employees shall not continue to wear their climbers while working on the ground; except for momentary or short periods of time on the ground.

     (5) Employees, when working from a hook ladder, must either belt themselves securely to the ladder, attach themselves to the structures by means of a safety line, or belt themselves to ladder safety equipment, which shall consist of a safety rope or belting threaded through the rungs or secured to the ladder at intervals of not more than three feet.

     (6) Before an employee throws his/her weight on a belt, the employee shall determine that the snap or fasteners are properly engaged.

     (7) Safety straps shall not be placed around poles above the cross-arm except where it is not possible for the strap to slide or be slipped over the top of the pole by inadvertence of the employee. Neither end of the strap shall be allowed to hang loose or dangle while the employee is ascending or descending poles or other structures.

     (8) Body belts and safety straps shall not be stored with sharp-edged tools or near sharp objects. When a body belt, safety strap and climbers are kept in the same container, they shall be stored in such a manner as to avoid cutting or puncturing the material of the body belt or safety strap with the gaffs or climbers.

     (9) Employees shall not attach metal hooks or other metal devices to body belts. Leather straps or rawhide thongs shall have hardwood or fibre crossbars. Leather straps and rawhide thongs shall not have metal or other conductive crossbars on them.

     (10) Climbing gaffs shall be kept properly sharpened and shall be at least 1-1/8 inches in length.

     (11) Lifelines shall be protected against being cut or abraded.

     (12) Fall arrest equipment, work positioning equipment, or travel restricting equipment shall be used by employees working at elevated locations more than 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground on poles, towers, or similar structures if other fall protection has not been provided. Fall protection equipment is not required to be used by a qualified employee climbing or changing location on poles, towers, or similar structures, unless conditions, such as, but not limited to, ice, high winds, the design of the structure (for example, no provision for holding on with hands), or the presence of contaminants on the structure, could cause the employee to lose his or her grip or footing.

Note 1:

This subsection applies to structures that support overhead electric power generation, transmission, and distribution lines and equipment. It does not apply to portions of buildings, such as loading docks, to electric equipment, such as transformers and capacitors, nor to aerial lifts. Requirements for fall protection associated with walking and working surfaces are contained in WAC 296-155-245; requirements for fall protection associated with aerial lifts are contained in chapter 296-155 WAC, Part J-1.

Note 2:

Employees undergoing training are not considered "qualified employees" for the purposes of this provision. Unqualified employees (including trainees) are required to use fall protection any time they are more than 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground.

     (13) The following requirements apply to personal fall arrest systems:

     (a) When stopping or arresting a fall, personal fall arrest systems shall limit the maximum arresting force on an employee to 1800 pounds (8 kN) if used with a body harness.

     (b) Personal fall arrest systems shall be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m) nor contact any lower level.

     (14) If vertical lifelines or droplines are used, not more than one employee may be attached to any one lifeline.

     (15) Snaphooks may not be connected to loops made in webbing-type lanyards.

     (16) Snaphooks may not be connected to each other.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 05-17-038, § 296-45-25510, filed 8/9/05, effective 10/1/05; 98-07-009, § 296-45-25510, filed 3/6/98, effective 5/6/98.]