Written by Mike Martin
Vice President, Services | CHST, CUS
Falls continue to be one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities, especially in construction, utility work, and industrial environments. That’s why having a well-designed, properly implemented personal fall arrest system (PFAS) is more than a compliance requirement—it’s critical to protecting your team and maintaining operational integrity.
Understanding PFAS, why it matters, and how its components work together can help you choose the right system for your job site and, more importantly, keep your workers safe.
What Is A Personal Fall Arrest System?
A personal fall arrest system is a set of equipment designed to safely stop a person from falling and striking a lower level. It’s typically used when working at height, such as on scaffolding, rooftops, utility poles, or elevated platforms.
While the basic components of a PFAS are consistent, the actual setup can vary based on industry, work environment, and site-specific risks. In construction, you might see harnesses connected to anchor points via shock-absorbing lanyards, while utility workers may use self-retracting lifelines mounted on vertical structures.
No matter the setup, the goal is the same: stop the fall and minimize injury.
What Is The Purpose of a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)?
The purpose of a PFAS is to arrest a fall in progress and protect the worker from hitting a lower surface. Unlike fall restraint systems, which prevent a fall from happening in the first place, fall arrest systems are designed for situations where a fall hazard exists and cannot be eliminated.
It’s important to recognize the difference between fall restraint vs. fall arrest: restraint prevents, while arrest protects during. When working near unprotected edges, leading surfaces, or vertical drops, a PFAS provides the last line of defense between a worker and serious injury or death.
A Personal Fall Arrest System Consists of:
A complete personal fall arrest system must be made up of three key components—each of which must work together and meet regulatory standards to function correctly. Here’s what’s involved:
Full Body Harness
The full-body harness is the central component of a PFAS. It’s worn by the worker and distributes fall forces across the thighs, shoulders, and pelvis. Unlike older-style belts, modern harnesses are built to prevent internal injuries by minimizing force on the spine and abdomen during a fall.
Look for harnesses that meet ANSI and OSHA standards, with features like dorsal D-rings, adjustable straps, and padding to improve comfort and fit. Training is critical here—incorrect harness use is a common cause of fall-related injuries, even when equipment is available.
Connecting Means
Connecting means linking the harness to the anchorage point. There are two primary types used in most systems:
Lanyards
Lanyards are flexible lines that connect a harness to an anchor. They can be shock-absorbing or non-shock-absorbing, depending on the application.
Lanyard Requirements:
- Must limit free fall distance to 6 feet or less
- Shock-absorbing lanyards must reduce arresting forces to under 1,800 lbs
- Must be compatible with both the harness and the anchor system
Lanyards are typically used in lower-mobility work or where short-range movement is needed.
Self-Retracting Lifeline
Self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) automatically adjust as a worker moves and lock during a fall. They offer greater mobility and reduce fall distance, which is especially useful when working at lower heights or in tight spaces.
SRLs are ideal in environments where there’s a high risk of fall but limited vertical clearance, such as boom lifts or loading docks.
Anchorage Point
The anchorage point is the secure attachment point for the PFAS. It must be capable of withstanding significant forces—OSHA requires that each anchor be able to support at least 5,000 pounds per employee attached.
Anchorage Point Requirements:
- Must be structurally sound and engineered for fall arrest use
- Should be as vertical as possible above the worker to reduce the swing hazard
- Cannot be shared unless rated for multiple connections
A personal fall arrest system must be secured properly to a qualified anchorage point. Using makeshift or unapproved anchor locations is a common and dangerous mistake.
Why PFAS Programs Fail: Human Factors and Behavior
Most PFAS failures don’t happen because of a broken gear. They happen because of human behavior. Workers may bypass harnesses for comfort, use improper anchor points for convenience, or simply forget steps when under pressure.
This is where leadership plays a critical role. Building a culture of safety means going beyond issuing equipment. It means creating habits, accountability, and awareness. That includes:
- Field coaching: Supervisors and peers reinforcing correct use daily
- Psychological safety: Encouraging workers to speak up if the equipment isn’t right
- Micro-interruptions: Using toolbox talks and pre-task checklists to refocus attention
If a PFAS isn’t used correctly every time, it can’t do its job. Systems don’t just need to work—they need to work for people.
How PFAS Fits Into Broader Safety System Design
A personal fall arrest system isn’t a standalone solution—it’s one control within a larger safety ecosystem. That includes hazard identification, engineering controls, training, monitoring, and response plans.
At SMG, PFAS is just one layer in a risk-based safety management strategy that balances:
- Prevention (designing out hazards where possible),
- Protection (like PFAS),
- And response (rescue plans, incident reporting, and corrective actions).
Integrating fall protection into your broader safety strategy helps ensure consistency across shifts, job types, and project phases. It also aligns with OSHA’s preferred hierarchy of controls, which emphasizes eliminating hazards wherever possible and only using PPE as a final measure.
Where To Get Help For Your PFAS
Making sure your personal fall arrest system is compliant, functional, and tailored to your environment is essential, and that’s where Safety Management Group comes in.
Whether you’re developing a site-specific fall protection plan, conducting a hazard assessment, or training your crews on the correct use of fall protection equipment, we can help. Our team provides hands-on support, from selecting fall arrest equipment to verifying anchorage systems and conducting field audits.
Fall protection isn’t just about gear—it’s about systems that work in real-world conditions. And we know how to build them.
Let’s make sure your PFAS does what it’s designed to do: protect your team and get them home safe.
