Z259.16-15

(reaffirmed 2020)

Design of active fall-protection systems

REVISED FEBRUARY 2017

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  Z259.16-15, Design of active fall-protection systems

  
  

  Errata — February 2017	Revision symbol (in margin)
  Clauses 3, 6.4.2.3, 8.2.6.1, 8.2.6.2, 9.2, and Annex B Figures 1, 3, and 6	∆

  
  

  Z259.16-15

  September 2015

  
  

  Title: Design of active fall-protection systems

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Z259.16-15

Design of active fall-protection systems

®A trademark of the Canadian Standards Association, operating as “CSA Group”

Published in September 2015 by CSA Group A not-for-profit private sector organization

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ISBN 978-1-77139-550-2

© 2015 Canadian Standards Association

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.

Contents

Technical Committee on Fall Protection 3

Subcommittee on Design of Active Fall-Protection Systems 8

Preface 9

1. Scope 10

   
   

2. Reference publications 11

   
   

3. Definitions 13

   
   

4. Drawings and specifications 19

   1. General 19

   2. Sealing by engineer 19

   3. Required information 20

      
      

5. Materials, equipment, and other design requirements 21

   1. Composition of materials 21

   2. Ductility of materials 21

   3. Environmental considerations 21

   4. Equipment 21

      1. General 21

      2. Compatibility 21

      3. Energy absorbers 21

      4. Self-retracting devices 22

      5. Lanyards 23

      6. Full-body harnesses 23

      7. Fall arresters 23

      8. Horizontal lifeline energy absorbers 24

   5. Other design requirements for travel-restraint systems 25

   6. Other design requirements for fall-arrest systems 25

      1. General 25

      2. Rescue 25

      3. Anchorage for suspended equipment operations 25

         
         

6. Safety criteria 25

   1. Specified loads 25

   2. Strength 26

      1. General 26

      2. Determination of factored resistance 26

      3. Determination of factored load effects 27

   3. Swing falls 27

   4. Forces on the worker's body 27

      1. Travel-restraint systems 27

      2. Fall-arrest systems 28

   5. Clearance 28

      
      

      September 2015 © 2015 Canadian Standards Association 1

      1. Travel-restraint systems 28

      2. Fall-arrest systems 28

   6. Stability of free-standing systems 29

      1. General 29

      2. Overturning of counterbalanced systems 29

      3. Sliding of ballasted anchor systems 29

         
         

7. Fall-protection system loads and forces 34

   1. General 34

   2. Travel-restraint systems 34

      1. Maximum arrest force and maximum anchorage load 34

      2. Level surfaces 34

      3. Sloping surfaces 34

   3. Fall-arrest systems 34

      1. Maximum arrest force and maximum anchorage load 34

      2. Design mass of workers 34

      3. Deployment force of personal energy absorbers and energy-absorbing lanyards 35

      4. Deployment force of clutching self-retracting devices 36

      5. Impact force of non-clutching self-retracting devices 36

      6. Deployment force of horizontal lifeline energy absorbers 37

      7. Multiple-worker falls 37

      8. Horizontal systems 38

         
         

8. Clearances for fall-arrest systems 39

   1. Clearance reference 39

   2. Required clearance 39

      1. General 39

      2. Free-fall distance 39

      3. Deceleration distance 39

      4. Stretch out 40

      5. Swing-fall distance 40

      6. Clearance margin 41

      7. Clearance for equivalent lumped-mass simulation of multiple-worker falls 41

         
         

9. Design assumptions and analytical methods 41

   1. Elasticity of ropes 41

      1. Wire ropes 41

      2. Synthetic ropes 42

   2. Horizontal lifelines sags 42

   3. Analytical methods 42

      1. General 42

      2. Dynamic analysis 42

      3. Energy analysis 42

      4. Static analysis 42

      5. Testing and interpolation analysis 43

      6. Other acceptable methods 43

Annex A (informative) — Commentary 51

Annex B (informative) — Bibliography 58

September 2015 © 2015 Canadian Standards Association 2

Preface

This is the second edition of CSA Z259.16, Design of active fall-protection systems. It supersedes the previous edition published in 2004. It is part of the CSA Z259 series of Standards for components of personal fall-arrest systems.

Changes in this edition include the following:

1. Clarification of the scope;

2. Updating the reference publications;

3. Updating the definitions to reflect current usage and consistency in the CSA Z259 series of Standards;

4. Revision to the clause on ballasted anchors;

5. Design requirements have been clarified and harmonized with the ANSI/ASSE Z359 series; and

6. The commentary in Annex A has been updated.

   CSA Group gratefully acknowledges the financial and in-kind support from the Canadian government departments responsible for occupational health and safety for the development of this edition.

   
   

   This Standard was prepared by the Subcommittee on Design of Active Fall-Protection Systems, under the jurisdiction of the Technical Committee on Fall Protection and the Strategic Steering Committee on Occupational Health and Safety, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee.

   
   

   Notes:

   1. Use of the singular does not exclude the plural (and vice versa) when the sense allows.

   2. Although the intended primary application of this Standard is stated in its Scope, it is important to note that it remains the responsibility of the users of the Standard to judge its suitability for their particular purpose.

   3. This Standard was developed by consensus, which is defined by CSA Policy governing standardization — Code of good practice for standardization as “substantial agreement. Consensus implies much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity”. It is consistent with this definition that a member may be included in the Technical Committee list and yet not be in full agreement with all clauses of this Standard.

   4. To submit a request for interpretation of this Standard, please send the following information to inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Request for interpretation” in the subject line:

      1. define the problem, making reference to the specific clause, and, where appropriate, include an illustrative sketch;

      2. provide an explanation of circumstances surrounding the actual field condition; and

      3. where possible, phrase the request in such a way that a specific “yes” or “no” answer will address the issue.

         Committee interpretations are processed in accordance with the CSA Directives and guidelines governing standardization and are available on the Current Standards Activities page at standardsactivities.csa.ca.

   5. This Standard is subject to review within five years from the date of publication, and suggestions for its improvement will be referred to the appropriate committee. To submit a proposal for change, please send the following information to inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Proposal for change” in the subject line:

      1. Standard designation (number);

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      3. wording of the proposed change; and

      4. rationale for the change.

September 2015 © 2015 Canadian Standards Association 9

Z259.16-15

Design of active fall-protection systems

1 Scope

1.1

This Standard specifies requirements for the design and performance of complete active fall-protection systems, including travel-restraint and vertical and horizontal fall-arrest systems. This Standard is intended for engineers with expertise in designing fall-protection systems.

1.2

This Standard does not specify design or performance requirements for fall-arrest equipment or systems that have been manufactured in accordance with the requirements of an applicable CSA Z259 equipment standard.

1.3

This Standard is not to be used as a substitute for testing and certification of components of fall- protection equipment for which there is an applicable CSA Z259 equipment standard, unless the device is custom engineered for limited or site-specific applications.

1.4

This Standard does not cover the design of passive fall-protection systems such as guardrails and nets, except where such passive systems are also designed to serve as anchorage and/or anchorage connector subsystems for active fall-protection systems covered by this Standard.

1.5

This Standard does not cover the design of positioning systems.

1.6

This Standard does not cover the determination of structural strength and behaviour of components or anchorages of active fall-protection systems. It does, however, establish the safety criteria once the strengths and behaviours are known. Such strengths and behaviours are determined by analytical testing or engineering methods and by CSA Group or other design Standards for the materials and structural systems being used.

1.7

This Standard does not supersede the requirements of applicable occupational safety and health regulations.

1.8

The values given in SI units are the units of record for the purposes of this Standard. The values given in parentheses are for information and comparison only.

September 2015 © 2015 Canadian Standards Association 10