If you don’t get the reference, you really need to brush up on your mid 90s hip hop! The hit song by the Outhere Brothers provides a perfect lead in to a very serious safety topic – here’s the link to the song: Boom Boom Boom (WARNING: User assumes all risk of an office Dance Party!)
We all know (or should know) that workers must be tied off in a boom lift. However, simply strapping on a harness and any old lanyard won’t cut it. Without getting too far into the details of fall protection vs. fall prevention vs. fall restraint, I will tell you that your standard 6’ bungee (or rip-away) lanyard is not an acceptable means of tie-off in a boom lift. This is because these types of lanyards need approximately 18 ½’ to successfully keep you from hitting the ground. Therefore the only type of lanyards that should be allowed in boom lifts are the “hard/restraint-type” lanyards or Self-Retracting Lifelines (SRLs) aka Yo-Yos.
UNACCEPTABLE:
ACCEPTABLE:
This is addressed in the all of the new Preconstruction Meeting Agenda Safety Sections, conveniently available at www.arcosafe.com. Item 1. K. states: “Tie-off in lifts: Anyone in a boom lift must be tied off using a restraint-type lanyard or Self-Retracting lifeline (Yo-Yo). Bungee or “rip” type lanyards are not permitted in a boom lift.”
Please make sure to thoroughly/clearly cover this in all your preconstruction meetings and/or discussions with your subcontractors, and make sure it is consistently enforced on your projects.