When field engineers need to work at height, a safety lanyard connects their harness to a secure anchor point, preventing them from falling to the ground. Telenco store provides professional lanyards and energy absorbers for ensuring maximum safety for your teams working at height. You can find different types of safety lanyards depending on the use and the hazards: fall arrest lanyards, restraint lanyards and positioning lanyards.

Which safety lanyard should you choose for working at height?

A fall restraint lanyard is designed to prevent falls by prohibiting the wearer from reaching a hazardous position where a fall might occur, such as a building’s edge for example. In other words, it stops the worker before they fall by preventing the fall. It should be the preferred option while working at height.

In situations where fall hazards cannot be avoided, a fall arrest lanyard must be used. In this case, most of the lanyards used have an energy absorber that, in the event of a fall, reduces the impact force exerted on the wearer's body and the anchoring point. Generally, shock absorbing lanyards are used when working at a height of more than six feet above the ground, even if they can also be used to just restrain workers in position. Non-shock absorbing lanyards may only be used in Fall Arrest Systems when used with compatible shock absorber extension.

A positioning lanyard is part of a positioning device system which aims is to support field workers on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall or a utility pole. This allows them to work hands-free on a part of the structure which is difficult to reach. For these lanyards, sewn ends are more resistant than on the others.

You should always ensure, no matter which type of lanyard you use, that you have checked the length of the lanyard against the length of the fall distance. Plus, in order to minimise the risks, workers should be trained in the proper use and practical / physical limitations of safety lanyards. This includes pre use checks and compatibility with other items of PPE.