If your building or site ever requires work at height, then you will have probably come across both fall arrest systems and fall restraint systems. Both offer excellent support to workers, protecting them from the most serious falls and injuries, but in different ways. Fall restraint systems physically prevent a fall from taking place in the first place. Fall arrest systems recognise that sometimes a fall can happen, but they work to slow that fall, preventing more serious injuries and protecting the worker until a proper rescue plan can be carried out.
Some systems are capable of offering both protections against fall hazards – whereby they try to physically prevent a fall from happening in the first place, but have fall arrest capabilities should the worst happen and a fall take place. Below we’ll take a closer look at fall arrest and fall restraint systems, the differences between them, when they need to be used, and how our team at Altus Safety can help you with the design, installation, maintenance, and regular compliance testing of the systems you install for worker safety.
What Are Fall Arrest & Fall Restraint Systems?
Fall arrest and fall restraint systems are both examples of personal fall protection. There are other forms of fall protection that offer a more collective approach – such as guardrails, handrails, and skylight protection.
However, sometimes it is necessary to provide individual protection for workers in the form of fall arrest vs fall restraint.
We’ll cover the main differences between fall arrest and fall restraint below, but for now, let’s take a look at why personal fall protection systems such as these are sometimes necessary over collective protection systems.
The Hierarchy of Control Measures For Fall Protection
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) makes their working at height safety precautions and advice very clear, in something known as the Hierarchy of Control Measures, which essentially acts as a framework to help working at height companies work out exactly what control measure should be put in place first.
It’s a hierarchy, so you start at step one, and if that’s not possible you move to step two, and so on and so forth until you find the best possible measure for the task at hand to provide as much safety and protection for workers as possible.
The hierarchy of control measures is as follows:
- Avoid working at height
- Protect workers using equipment already on site
- Install collective measures of protection e.g. guardrails
- Prevent using personal fall restraint systems
- Provide collective measures of fall arrest
- Provide personal fall arrest systems
It’s a little more complex than that, but for the purposes of our fall arrest vs fall restraint differences blog today, that’s generally the order. That means if you can’t avoid working at height, and collective forms of fall protection aren’t appropriate, then you should consider fall restraint systems in the first instance that offer fall prevention, and fall arrest systems only after that which can handle fall arrest loads.
What Does Fall Restraint Mean?
Fall restraint systems prevent falls from happening removing potential fall hazards altogether. They physically restrain a worker so they can’t access an area where a fall over an edge is likely. They provide a secure anchor point in a position where falling is unlikely, and any flexibility provided by vertical or horizontal safety lines attaching you to that anchor point, only allows you to go so far. You would never be able to get close to the edge of the roof or hazardous area where a fall might occur.
What Are Fall Restraint Systems Typically Made Up Of?
Fall restraint systems are typically made up of several pieces of equipment which work to anchor an individual safely to a particular area, preventing falls.
That equipment usually consists of:
- Anchor point – Typically an eyebolt or anchor point which the worker is securely attached to at all times.
- Lanyard or safety line – The safety line that runs from the anchor point to the worker, in fall restraint systems these aren’t elastic and have no give.
- Harness – This full body harness is what the worker wears and this is where the safety line or lanyard attaches to secure the individual working at height.
When Should Fall Restraint Equipment Be Used?
Fall restraint equipment should be used on roofs and high platforms where the risk of falling over the edge is completely eliminated. For example, if work is being carried out in the centre of a roof, then fall restraint systems should be used to physically prevent the user from getting close to the edge.
What Does Fall Arrest Mean?
If fall restraint stops a person from falling over an edge, then fall arrest systems are designed to slow and stop a fall in its tracks after someone has gone over the edge. It makes sense that fall restraint systems would be prioritised in the hierarchy of control measures then, since it works to stop falls altogether.
Sometimes falls are unavoidable though, and that’s where fall arrest equipment comes in.
What Are Fall Arrest Systems Typically Made Up Of?
Fall arrest systems are made up of very similar equipment to fall restraint systems, but with some key differences:
- Anchor point – Still present to provide a secure attachment point.
- Shock-absorbing lanyard or safety line – This does have some flexibility in its design and is set up to slow and catch a fall when it happens, reducing the shock and the impact to the worker.
- Body harness – A full body harness in a fall arrest system is designed to distribute the shock of the fall evenly around your body so no one area becomes seriously injured.
When Should Fall Arrest Equipment Be Used?
Fall arrest equipment should be used when there is a risk of falling over an edge or platform. If you have tasks that need to be completed by the edge of a roof or platform, then a fall arrest system should be used.
Key Differences Between Fall Arrest And Fall Restraint Systems
There are a number of key differences between the two systems which we’ll summarise below to help you find the most suitable fall protection system for your site:
| Fall Arrest Systems | Fall Restraint Systems | |
| Protection | When a fall happens, it slows and stops it, minimising injuries. | Physically prevents falls from happening. |
| When To Use | When there’s a risk of falling over a roof or platform edge. | When collective protection isn’t an option but the risk of falling over an edge is minimal. |
| Required Training | Extensive training to ensure the user is able to use the system safely. | Extensive training to ensure the user is able to use the system safely. |
| Required Compliance Tests | Every 6-12 months depending on the system. | Typically every 12 months |
| Level Of Freedom | Maximum freedom in movement due to elastic safety lines designed to minimise free fall distance and fall deceleration distance. | Minimal freedom as a fall restraint lanyard or vertical/horizontal safety line eliminates fall risks entirely by preventing them, so they have little to no give. |
How Altus Safety Can Help With Your Fall Arrest & Restraint Needs
At Altus Safety we offer a range of both fall restraint and fall arrest systems to improve occupational safety for anyone working at height. We can carry out a full working at height risk assessment to ensure we properly identify the right fall protection system for you.
We’ll thoroughly assess the tasks you require and make sure that any system we recommend is perfect for the job.
Contact our team today and we’ll discuss how we can help.
Understanding The Differences Between Fall Arrest And Fall Restraint Systems: Final Thoughts
Fall restraint and fall arrest systems are both examples of personal fall protection designed to protect workers carrying out work at height. Without these systems, workers would be at increased risks of falls, which could result in serious injuries and even death.
By investing in the right safety system, however, you can increase safety standards at your site and ensure you remain fully compliant with all the latest in height safety regulations and standards. This protects you as an employer and protects your workers, giving them complete peace of mind as they carry out their duties.