Negative Phenomenon of Jumping Operation of Retractable-Type Fall Arresters

This article presents the results of research into the operation of retractable-type fall arresters used for fall protection in conjunction with flexible anchor points. The purpose of these devices is to enable the user to move freely in the vertical direction and safely arrest any fall from the workstation. Reports from users of such protective equipment and previous studies have indicated the occurrence of specific situations in which retractable-type fall arresters did not work properly. It was manifested by the sudden locking and unlocking of the device’s retractable lanyard, which means that the falling person was not stopped at the required distance. This is a highly dangerous phenomenon known as “jump action” that can cause serious injury or even death. Therefore, three different designs of retractable-type fall arresters and three loading conditions were investigated to analyze the jump action phenomenon. Based on the experimental results, a modification of the retractable type fall arresters was proposed in the form of an added electronic control. The proposed programmable control system will make it possible to eliminate the risks associated with “jump action” and expand the functionality of the studied fall arresters.