When working from height it is vital that you have the correct equipment to ensure that you are safe. There are a number of different types of height safety equipment and you should take the time to learn what is required for each application.
You may well of heard of the following terms, fall arrest and fall restraint but do you know what they are and what they do?
Fall arrest equipment such as webbing or a harness is designed to help you should you fall. It is designed to arrest the fall before you hit the ground, limiting the possibly injuries and impact from the force of the fall.
Fall restraint gear is designed to stop you suffering a fall in the first place. This may include a full body harnesses connected by lanyards or lifelines to a secure anchor. This means that you will only have a set distance in which you can move from the anchor point thus reducing the likelihood of a fall and virtually making it impossible to fall far. The downside of this equipment is that it can restrict your movement and therefore may instead often for a fall arrest system which allows you to move more freely.