At J.L. Matthews, we are a family-owned business since 1946 and are your one-stop shop for linemen, ironworkers, and arborists. We get it that every project is unique and you need the right tools and equipment to get your job done safely.
J.L. Matthews is bringing you the latest information on tether tool safety, the new standard, and what you can do to prepare.
Protecting at-height workers with tethered tool lanyards is not an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirement, but it is a good work practice. The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) sets design, performance and testing requirements, and have adopted new equipment standards.
How is the tether tool safety standard changing?
The new standard establishes minimum design, performance and labeling requirements for solutions and testing that help prevent dropped objects. Proper tethering includes 4 categories of tether equipment:
- Tool attachment
- Anchor attachment
- Tool tether
- Containers such as buckets and pouches
The type of tether and the anchor point will vary depending on the weight of the tool. Since all tools used at height may not have a tether attachment point, solutions have been developed to make tools tether-ready.
What can you do to prepare?
Familiarize yourself with the evolving standards and equip yourself with the right tools and gear to keep you and those who work around you safe. J.L. Matthews is in direct contact with our vendors and will provide you with the latest information. The following vendors have products that will soon be tether-ready:
Our predictions and future implications
For general industry, OSHA specifically addresses dropped objects in CFR 1910.28, the fall protection and falling object protection subpart to the Walking-Working Surfaces standard. The standard states that when employees are at risk of being struck by falling objects, employers must make sure they wear head protection, as well as use toe boards, screens, guardrail systems, canopy structures or barricades to keep objects from falling to a lower level.Like many new regulations, best practices prevail. The new ANSI standard this may help nudge OSHA toward mandating the use of tool tethers.
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