title: Horizontal lifelines - review of regulations and simple design method considering anchorage rigidity.
abstract: Among the many occupational risks construction workers encounter every day falling from a height is the most dangerous. The objective of this article is to propose a simple analytical design method for horizontal lifelines (HLLs) that considers anchorage flexibility. The article presents a short review of the standards and regulations/acts/codes concerning HLLs in Canada the USA and Europe. A static analytical approach is proposed considering anchorage flexibility. The analytical results are compared with a series of 42 dynamic fall tests and a SAP2000 numerical model. The experimental results show that the analytical method is a little conservative and overestimates the line tension in most cases with a maximum of 17%. The static SAP2000 results show a maximum 2.1% difference with the analytical method. The analytical method is accurate enough to safely design HLLs and quick design abaci are provided to allow the engineer to make quick on-site verification if needed.
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et Sécurité du Travail (IRSST) , Canada.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galy
authors.affiliation: a Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et Sécurité du Travail (IRSST) , Canada.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000465:Algorithms; D002170:Canada; D004867:Equipment Design; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
keywords: SAP2000; anchorage flexibility; deflection; design method; fall tests; horizontal lifeline; wire rope