OSHA is rescinding a January 2009 letter of interpretation, which stated that shock-absorbing lanyards should not be used without an anchor-point height of at least 18.5 ft.
The guideline was based on manufacturers’ guidelines, but caused confusion about the permissibility of lanyards used with body harnesses on aerial lifts with lower anchor-point heights, with many wondering if OSHA was banning the lanyards.
So, what does that mean? While OSHA hasn’t banned the lanyards in question, it also hasn’t said the use of shock-absorbing lanyards is OK in these cases, and recommends that fall-protection systems should be selected after considering manufacturers’ guidelines and job-specific risks.