A travel restraint system allows a worker to travel just far enough to reach an unprotected edge but not far enough to fall over. The basic travel-restraint system consists of
- CSA-approved full body harness
- Lanyard
- Lifeline
- Rope grab to attach harness or lanyard to lifeline
- Adequate anchorage
- Safety belts, (The use of safety belts is not recommended; however, they are permitted in some jurisdictions.)
There are two methods of travel restraint that are commonly used in construction.
- Connecting an anchored lifeline directly to the D-ring of the worker’s full body harness. The lifeline, measured from the anchor point, MUST be short enough to restrain the worker from any fall hazard.
- Attaching a lanyard from the D-ring of the worker’s full body harness to a rope grab on an adequately anchored lifeline. There MUST be some way, such as a knot in the lifeline to prevent the rope grab from sliding along the lifeline to a point where the worker is no longer restrained from falling.
Be aware that a fully extended lifeline and/or lanyard that adequately restrains a worker from a fall hazard in one section of the work area may be too long to provide the same protection in another section.