Fall Factors

What Are Fall Factors?

Fall factors (sometimes also referred to as fall ratio or fall distance factor) describe the relationship between fall distance and the length of the lanyard. These terms all refer to the same safety principle, commonly used in work at height and rope access training.

Fall factors are an assessment method used to evaluate the level of risk in specific scenarios when working at height where there is a risk of free fall. When using personal fall protection equipment, fall factors describe how the position of the anchorage point affects the potential fall distance, and therefore the risk of hitting the ground or obstacles below.

The fall factor is calculated with the following formula: Fall Factor = Fall Distance / Length of the lanyard. Example: in a fall factor 1 situation, the fall distance will be equal to the length of your lanyard.

In situations where the fall factor is 0 (e.g., when the worker is positioned below the anchorage point on a tensioned line) or in situations where the fall factor is 1 or less and mobility is limited to 0.6 m or less, work positioning equipment is sufficient (i.e., EN 354 or EN 358). Personal fall protection in the form of a fall arrest system, including an energy-absorbing function (i.e., EN 355), must be used in all other situations where the fall factor is greater than 1 or where more mobility is required.

Safety Note: To ensure the user does not hit the ground or obstacles below, the minimum free clearance under the user must always be considered. This is called free clearance. Free clearance is the distance required for the lanyard in a fall arrest system to brake and stop a fall. Information on the required free clearance is provided in the user instructions for the equipment. If the anchorage device has deflection (stretching), bends, or otherwise increases the total braking distance, this must be added to the calculated free clearance.