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A Quick Look at Self-Retracting Lifelines and How to Use Them

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People who work in the construction industry and other risky environments need to look after their safety and protect themselves at all times. They should follow safety measures as well as use proper safety gear and equipment that applies to the type of job they do and where they do it. One of the most undermined safety gear out there is a self-retracting lifeline. A self-retractable lifeline is a vertical lifeline that is part of a fall arrest system. This equipment is akin to the shoulder belt and seat in your car. It retracts easily after you pull it out. If you subject it to a quick tug, though, an internal mechanism works by engaging a braking system. Once you release the tension, the self-retracting lifeline moves back freely. During a fall, the internal braking system of this vertical lifeline will dispense energy to help with the fall over a short distance, thereby limiting the force coming from the body of the user.
 
Much like how the shoulder belt and seat work in your car, the whole premise of using the self retracting lanyards is to provide some form of control into an event that you cannot control, in this case, falls. Its mechanism using a toothed ratchet allows continuous payout of the line in one direction. Often, this line comes in synthetic cable or steel material in the form of a web strapping. When there is a sudden downward force like what happens during a fall, the lifeline will engage the teeth of the braking system. Once the braking system engages, you can expect the descent to slow down. Though self-retracting lifelines can absorb some of the shock that happens during a fall, recent lifelines offer a friction control mechanism. This mechanism ensures a smoother stop and limits the fall forces significantly. With this mechanism, self-retracting lifelines prevent the occurrence of additional injury to the person. By using this safety gear, it will distribute the total force of the fall. The use of a full-body harness helps to distribute the overall fall force, wherein the harness connects to the lifeline by a snap hook.
 
As mentioned, people who often use self-retracting lifelines are those who work in industrial settings. They are used heavily by workers who need to do tasks at heights. These jobs include steel production, transportation maintenance and manufacturing, building cleaning and maintenance, as well as mining. They are also useful in the entertainment industry like movie stunt work and theater work. Learn more about workers safety here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/keeping-workers-safe-on-l_b_3825178.