Engineered Fall Arrest Systems

Every work environment with fall hazards requires a dependable fall arrest system. Engineered Fall Protection offers a comprehensive selection of fall arrest systems to meet your specific needs. Whether you require a pre-engineered, "out-of-the-box" solution or a custom-designed system for a unique application, we have the right equipment to keep your team safe.

Engineered Fall Protection provides Fall Arrest Systems to prevent needless injury and death at the workplace. We will work with you to create a system for your specific application.

Ceiling Mounted Rigid Fall Arrest

Our ceiling mounted rigid fall protection is an ideal way to protect workers while still giving them the flexibility and freedom to move.

Engineered Horizontal Lifelines

Horizontal lifeline systems (HLL) are often in work areas lacking overhead anchor points available for personnel tie–off.

Vertical Lifeline Systems

Vertical lifeline systems provide hands-free fall protection for ladders and other climbing tools.

Rigid Fold Away Systems

Ideal for applications where the fall arrest system can be deployed or stowed.

Temporary Horizontal Lifelines

Lifelines ideal for maintenance, bridgework, construction and general industry applications with absolute safety and reliability.

Rigid Free Standing Monorails

Available in heights from 16 to 26 feet and lengths up to 204 feet in single or dual track styles.

Rigid Swing Arms Systems

Provides circular or semicircular fall protection with standard lengths from 8 to 30 feet. Custom spans are available upon request.

Rigid Overhead Bridge Systems

Available in ceiling mounted or free standing systems providing rectangular fall protection with bridge spans up to 18 feet.

Confined Space and Rescue Equipment

Ideal for workplaces that are not necessarily designed for people, but they are large enough for workers to enter and perform certain jobs.

Self Retracting Lifelines

Self-locking device with an integrated shock-absorber. Limits free fall and greatly reduces the risk of hitting the ground in the unfortunate event of a fall.

Safety Harnesses

Body wear that distributes fall forces throughout the entire body. Keeps the worker suspended upright, significantly reducing the chance of injury.

Safety Lanyards

Used to securely attach the worker's harness to an anchor, lifeline, or structure. Can also serve to position the worker so that both hands are free to work.

What is a Fall Arrest System?

A fall arrest system can be as simple as a beam clamp, body harness and lanyard or as complex as an engineered overhead horizontal lifeline with a trolley. But the purpose is the same - a fall arrest system assumes the inevitability of a fall and is put in place to arrest a worker in the occurrence of a fall to a lower level or obstruction. The three components that make up a fall arrest system are the following.

Body Support

Full Body Harness is designed to disperse the arresting load to multiple areas of your body and hold you while suspended in a fall.

Connectors

A lanyard, SRL, or some other device that attaches you from your harness to an anchor point.

Anchors

The point that you tie off to with your lanyard or SRL. An anchor point used in fall arrest needs to withstand 5,000 pounds or have a safety factor of two.

What is Fall Clearance?

One of the most important things to understand when considering a fall arrest system is fall clearance. Fall clearance is the distance needed to safely arrest a fall from a working height. In order to calculate fall clearance, you can use the definitions and chart listed in this section.

Required Fall Distance=Lanyard Length + Deceleration Distance + Height of Worker + Safety Factor

What is the difference between a rigid fall arrest system and a flexible fall arrest system?

Understanding the difference between rigid and flexible fall arrest systems is essential for selecting the right protection for your workplace. Both systems effectively protect workers during a fall, but they differ significantly in performance, cost-effectiveness, and long-term value.

Rigid Fall Arrest Systems

A rigid fall arrest system features zero deflection when a fall occurs, which significantly limits free-fall distance and reduces the forces experienced by the worker. This rigid construction provides a critical advantage: after a certified inspection following a fall event, the system can typically be returned to service without replacement, minimizing downtime and long-term costs.

Flexible Fall Arrest Systems

A flexible lifeline system, such as a horizontal cable lifeline, incorporates engineered deflection (sag) during a fall arrest event. While these systems effectively arrest falls and protect workers, the deflection increases free-fall distance compared to rigid systems. Additionally, once impacted by a fall, flexible cable systems must be replaced according to ANSI standards, resulting in equipment replacement costs and potential operational delays.

Factor	Rigid Fall Arrest System	Flexible Cable Lifeline
Deflection on Fall	Zero deflection	Engineered sag/deflection
Free-Fall Distance	Minimized	Greater due to sag
Post-Fall Reuse	Yes — after certified inspection	No — must be replaced per ANSI
Long-Term Cost	Lower — system returns to service	Higher — equipment replacement required
Ideal Application	Permanent, high-frequency use	Temporary or lower-frequency use

Which System is Right for Your Application?

Both rigid and flexible fall arrest systems meet OSHA and ANSI safety standards and effectively protect workers. The optimal choice depends on several factors:

Work environment: Available clearance distances, anchor point locations, and facility structure
Frequency of use: High-traffic applications may benefit from the reusability of rigid systems
Budget considerations: Initial investment versus long-term replacement costs
Worker mobility needs: Required range of motion and workspace coverage

Our fall protection experts will assess your specific application requirements and recommend the most effective and cost-efficient solution for your workplace.

Note: You can see examples of both rigid systems and horizontal cable lifelines in the photo links above and the case studies on the right side of this page.

Davit Systems and Tripods

A davit and tripod system is typically used in confined space applications. These systems have dual purpose in that they can be used to lower and retrieve workers into a work area, while simultaneously serving as a fall arrest system.

When used with a Self-Retracting Lifeline (SRL) as the fall arrest device, workers can safely climb down to the work area and have free range of motion as they perform their tasks. These devices can also be equipped with a winch featuring a 6:1 mechanical advantage gear ratio that allows one user to effortlessly lower or raise another worker with minimal physical effort.

With the combined protection of a winch and SRL, workers are fully protected throughout entry, task performance, and exit from the confined space.

Our confined space experts will help you select the optimal davit or tripod configuration for your specific application needs. Learn more about these systems on our Confined Space Rescue Equipment page.

Engineered Fall Protection designs, engineers, and installs fall arrest systems. We serve clients from coast to coast, Canada, Mexico, and are especially focused in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Kentucky, Iowa, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida.