Patent Application
20090169296
This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for securing fall safety equipment. More specifically, the invention is directed to an apparatus and method for securing fall safety equipment to locations not originally intended to be used with fall safety equipment.
It is currently a requirement that persons working above ground level, performing repairs, installing equipment, or performing maintenance, be outfitted with adequate protection against the possibility of accidental falls to the ground below. Because even a fall from a short distance can cause serious bodily injury or death, the ability to provide adequate fall protection is imperative. This is even true, when the height of the surface above the ground is as little as six feet, and some local and federal regulations require fall protection of some kind for all work above a height of as little as three feet above ground level. For example, Occupational Safety & Health Administration regulation 29 C.F.R. § 1926.502 dictates the minimum requirements for such fall protection equipment.
Fall protection is necessary when a worker is working atop structures such as buildings and towers. Furthermore, because of the height above ground level, fall protection may also be necessary when working on large-scale utility electric circuit breakers. A common configuration for fall protection comprises a safety harness for each worker that is releasable attached by a tether line and carabineer or shackle to an overhead fall arrest system anchored to a secure point on a structure above the worker to prevent a fall to the ground below. If a worker wearing a safety harness attached to a fall arrest system, does fall, the overhead fall arrest system will detect the free falling worker and will in turn prevent the tether line from feeding freely, thereby stopping the workers fall before he can contact the surface below.
It is often difficult however to find attachment points for portable overhead fall arrest systems that are suitable to accommodate the forces exerted by a falling worker. This is especially true on structures that were designed and built without fall protection in mind. In order to redress this concern, portable fall arrest systems may be employed to install an overhead anchor point for a fall arrest system. Various portable extendable fall arrest anchor posts are commercially available. Such posts are commonly referred to as “Maypoles,” “Uni-hoist,” or the like.
A Maypole provides the required overhead fixation point and allows workers to utilize fall arrest and fall protection systems in areas where it was not originally envisioned. Such fall arrest systems typically require permanent and invasive mounting points for the Maypole type device. Also, these mounting points may damage the environmental and structural integrity of a structure or building.
Accordingly, there is therefore a need for an apparatus and method that easily provides a fixation point that can readily be attached to a structure, such as an electrical circuit breaker or other common utility equipment when required without causing any environmental or structural concerns that typically exist utilizing permanent anchor points. It is also desirable that the apparatus be easily removable from the structure without causing damage to the integrity of such a structure.
It is a principle object of the invention therefore to provide for an easily securable and easily removable apparatus to temporarily secure a fall arrest system to an angle iron structure used to support for example, a utility electrical circuit breaker, that will not damage the integrity of the structure. The invention advantageously utilizes structural elements of a support structure itself to provide anchor points for the fall arrest system that were not originally intended or used to secure fall arrest equipment.
It accordance with one aspect of the invention, a fall arrest anchor post is secured utilizing an enclosure and a structural framing member, e.g., a circuit breaker support, as an anchor point. The enclosure attaches to a common structural framing members as an anchor point for the fall arrest system.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims:
Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views as used in the description herein, the meaning of “a “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes both “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meanings of “and” and “or” include both the conjunctive and disjunctive and may be used interchangeably unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Typical electrical circuit breakers or other utility equipment is commonly mounted on free standing frames formed from angle iron. When it becomes necessary for a worker to perform repairs or installations on top of such electrical equipment, an above the head fall arrest system must be employed. Existing fall arrest anchor posts may provide an adequate anchor point for a fall arrest system, however, typically there is no conventional method or apparatus available to anchor a fall arrest anchor post such as a Maypole to the angle iron frame.
An exemplary embodiment of the anchoring system of the present invention will now be described with respect to
Extension arms 70 are mounted to anchoring system 1 to allow enclosure 10 to be offset mounted when in operation, thereby avoiding any potential interference between supporting angle iron 110 and the enclosure 10. Extension arms 70 are typically, square or rectangular cross sectional metal channels affixed to enclosure 20 by welding or other acceptable means, however other configurations are possible.
Orthogonally attached to extension arm 70 are support clamps 50. Support clamps 50 provide for mounting of anchoring system 1 to a piece of equipment's support frame. In the exemplary embodiment, the support clamps 50 are mounted to a support strut 80 and separated at a distance sufficient to provide adequate mounting. Support clamps 50 may be for example simple screw down type clamps that maintain position by friction. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, that support clamps 50 may be any suitable clamping devices such as spring clamps, pressure clamps, chain links and locking pins, or other holding fixtures, without departing from the present invention.
With reference to
From the embodiment of the invention described above, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. Various changes and modifications thereof could be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
