4. Risks and limitations

A personal fall protection system only works when it is used within the conditions for which the system and its components are intended.

Selecting the correct type of system is therefore not enough. You must also understand the limitations that affect how the system performs in the actual working environment.

In this chapter:

• fall distance and fall geometry,
• clearance,
• vertical, horizontal and over-edge use,
• swing falls,
• what a fall arrest means in practice,
• how the user and working conditions affect safety.

Remember

The correct system used in the wrong place or in the wrong way may still provide inadequate protection.