Analysis of hazards associated with injuries to the employee’s head during fall arrest

Abstract

A fall from a height is one of the most serious hazards faced by employees in the work environment. It is present mostly at workstations in such industries as construction, power engineering, mining, storage, etc. Using individual protective equipment against falls from a height is a basic method of protecting workers under such conditions. The choice of this method carries specific risks associated with the functioning of equipment during fall arrest. Hitting elements of the workstation during fall arrest associated with pendulum movement is a very serious threat. This paper presents conditions which trigger pendulum movement during fall arrest and the positions which a human equipped with a full body harness can assume then. Potential effects of the impact of the head against an obstacle during pendulum movement are discussed on the basis of the results of research with an anthropomorphic dummy. The article discusses methods of preventing swing movement and ways of mitigating the effects of collisions with obstacles within the workstation. It also presents the basic requirements for protective helmets intended for use with individual protection equipment against falls from a height.