WHAT IS A LANYARD?
Lanyards are the connecting element in a fall protection system between a Harness and an Anchorage Point. The Karam Fall Arrest Lanyards incorporate a Shock Absorbing element which is capable of limiting the force felt on the body of the worker to less than 6kN.
A comprehensive range of KARAM Lanyards are available for use, each tested to withstand a static load test of more than 15 kN for 3 minutes.
Before using a lanyard, it is mandatory to inspect it for any damages, cuts, and burns.
There are certain important factors which should be considered while using the lanyard for the purpose of Fall Arrest
- The lanyard should never, in any case, be wrapped around any anchor point, and then attached back on itself. In doing so, the lanyard could suffer a “choke-effect”, making it vulnerable to break.
- Never use the lanyard as a means of suspension. It is only a connecting element between the worker and his anchorage.
- Never use two single lanyards to create a forked lanyard, or to increase the length of the lanyard.
UNDERSTANDING THE ENERGY ABSORBER
The Energy Absorber at one end of the lanyard is an essential component of the connecting system, since it absorbs the major part of the impact incurred in the event of a fall. An Energy Absorber should form a necessary component of any Fall Protection System. A Test Dummy falls smoothly without incurring any damage, when an Energy Absorber is incorporated in the Fall Arrest system. Technically, the impact on the test dummy has been reduced to less than 6 kN, when subjected to a 4.0mtrs fall. This means that with the use of this Energy Absorber, the forces that are felt on the body of the worker in the event of a fall have been reduced to a minimum, thereby not incurring any internal damage to the body.
HOW DOES THE ENERGY ABSORBER IN A LANYARD WORK?
In the event of a fall, the special webbing inside the Energy Absorber opens up. This opening of the webbing takes up most of the jerk which is felt as an impact when a fall occurs. Finally very little jerk is felt on the body of the user. We can therefore imagine that if this Energy Absorber is absent from a fall protection system, the forces which are felt on the body of the user can be very high and can result in injury. Always use Energy Absorbing Lanyards for fall arrest applications.
WHAT SHOULD BE THE LENGTH OF A KARAM FALL ARREST LANYARD?
The standard maximum length of the Fall Arrest Lanyard is 2.0mtrs. An important thing to note is to have a Lanyard long enough to be user friendly, however, kept as short as possible, to minimize the free fall distance. All KARAM Fall Arrest Lanyards are tested and certified as per EN 355:2002 for their maximum length of 2.0mtrs.
MINIMUM FALL CLEARANCE DISTANCE REQUIRED WHEN USING AN ENERGY ABSORBING LANYARD?
It is extremely important to know the fall clearance distance when working at a height using the appropriate Fall Protection System. While anchored vertically above the head level, the length of the Lanyard used and the elongation of the Energy Absorber which occurs in the event of a fall become two of the important factors to determine the fall clearance.
Always check for the minimum Fall clearance distance so that the risk of hitting an
obstacle below is not there. In the worst case where the user has climbed above the point of anchorage, and has a free fall of 4.0m before the Lanyard has been activated, the minimum clearance required is 6.25m below the anchorage.
To find out more on our Lanyard Range, visit our website: https://karamafrica.com/fall-arrest/lanyards/ or visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KaramSafetyAfrica or contact our sales team on: +27 32 940 0993 and they will put you in touch with one of our representatives in your area who will assist you in finding suitable lanyards for your needs.