October 8, 2004—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Safety and Health Information Bulletin this month to prevent fatal accidents and injuries for workers using wire form anchorage connectors for fall protection. The connectors are used frequently in the tower construction and maintenance industry as portable/temporary anchorage connector personal fall arrest systems and for positioning device systems.
OSHA’s area office in Bismarck, North Dakota, recently investigated a fatal accident involving a spring-loaded form anchorage connector used in communication towers upgrade work. The investigation prompted the issuance of the bulletin.
Hazards of Misusing Wire Form Anchorage Connectors for Fall Protection details specifications and limitations of the devices, lists recommendations for the safe use of the devices, and discusses the agency’s standards for fall protection system criteria.
