For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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Photo by Thor Clausen Photo by Melissa LeVangie Bear LeVangie using both the suspension and work positioning features of her climbing harness while working aloft. A sliding D attachment system being employed with both carabiners attached directly to the "slider" cordage. forces of the fall over the entirety of the aerial lift operator's body, assuming the harness is properly worn and adjusted.The dorsal attachment point is located roughly between the user's shoulder blades in the back; and is the optimal, and legally only acceptable, point for attachment of the deceleration lanyard.The deceleration lanyard has additional material sewn into it that will "tear" apart on impact, absorbing the forces of the fall while still keeping the operator connected to the aerial lift attachment point. Once again, the importance of the "system" can be seen, as the attachment of a deceleration lanyard to a side D-ring could be quite injurious, if not fatal, in the event of a fall with this system. user hanging from their side in the event of a fall.The lanyard should go from side to side, or from the center attachment point and back to itself for the greatest safety and security. A fall arrest system is one meant to not only stop a fall to the ground from occurring, but also to "spread" the forces generated by the fall over the user's body, and absorb those forces in the most "survivable" manner. Work positioning While other industries have harnesses that are solely work positioning, this is typically simply a component of an appropriate tree industry harness; and is the use of the side D-rings or attachment points on the harness.These are used to achieve and maintain a safe working position to avoid a fall through the use of some form of work positioning lanyard; and although they may be used exclusively for support in such activities as spur climbing, are more appropriately and safely used as an adjunct to another system such as an overhead tie-in point (TIP).A common error in the tree care industry is to attach the lanyard back to the side D-ring from which it originates, leaving the www.arborage.com Suspension The suspension fall protection system is one with which the majority of the tree care industry is familiar;and is intended to "suspend" the user from an overhead TIP ,allowing them to carry out work and movement in a safe,controlled manner.This is typically employed with a doubled or single line over a suitable TIP in the canopy and some form of hitch or device attached to the front points of the climber's harness.The system can be used in conjunction with the work positioning features of the harness to help the user get into and maintain a safe and secure position for cutting and rigging. Multi-use Harnesses are available for tree care industry use that allow climbers to have access to all the fall support systems described here, full-body harnesses with dorsal attachment points that also have the required components for work suspension and positioning. Although quite useful and effective, tree crews must keep in mind the "systemic" nature of fall support; and use the appropriate and required components of each system — even with these multi-use harnesses. Arbor Age / July/August 2013 17