Fall arresters for aerial work are core equipment ensuring the safety of workers, widely used in construction, electricity, mining, industrial maintenance, and other fields. Their primary function is to quickly brake through an automatic locking mechanism when an accidental fall occurs, limiting the falling distance and absorbing impact energy to minimize accident-related injuries. The following is a systematic analysis covering classifications, principles, usage and maintenance, and safety standards.

 

I. Core Classifications and Applicable Scenarios

Fall arresters can be categorized into multiple types based on usage environment, working principle, and material structure:

1. By Usage Environment:  

   - Aerial Work Type: Such as construction, bridge maintenance, power tower inspection, etc., requiring adaptation to complex outdoor environments.  

   - Industrial Equipment Type: Commonly used as supporting safety devices for machinery like cranes, elevators, and aerial work platforms.  

2. By Working Principle:  

   - Self-locking Type: Utilizes mechanical locking mechanisms (e.g., ratchet and pawl) to automatically trigger locking at the moment of a fall, with fast response speed.  

   - Friction Type: Employs friction for braking, suitable for scenarios requiring impact force buffering.  

   - Spring Type: Absorbs energy through spring deformation to reduce fall impact.  

3. By Material Structure:  

   - Rigid Guide Rail Type: Made of aluminum alloy or galvanized steel, featuring high durability and suitable for fixed aerial work scenarios.  

   - Flexible Guide Rail Type: Uses steel strands or synthetic fiber ropes, offering high flexibility and suitable for mobile operations.

 

II. Working Principles and Safety Mechanisms

Fall arresters achieve protection through three mechanisms:

- Speed Sensing and Automatic Locking: Built-in centrifugal speed limiters or inertial sensors monitor operation speed in real-time. Once the speed exceeds the safety threshold (e.g., 1.2-1.5 times the rated speed), mechanical locking devices (such as gear-engaged guide rails or friction brake calipers) are immediately triggered for forced braking.

- Impact Energy Buffering: Absorbs falling kinetic energy through elastic ropes, hydraulic buffers, or spring structures to reduce impact on the human body and equipment.

- Self-locking and Redundant Design: Pure mechanical triggering without the need for electrical support ensures high reliability; some devices are equipped with universal rotating joints to prevent rope entanglement and ensure flexible locking angles.

 

III. Standardized Usage and Maintenance

Correct Usage Steps:

1. Comprehensive pre-operation inspection: Confirm no rust, cracks, or structural deformation, and safety ropes have no wear.

2. Standardized wearing of safety harnesses: Full-body harnesses should evenly distribute impact force, and hooks must be securely connected to dedicated anchor points of fall arresters.

3. Avoid rapid movement during operation: Uniform speed operation can reduce the risk of false triggering; overloading or overspeed use is strictly prohibited.

 

Maintenance Requirements:

- Daily inspection: Focus on checking the integrity of the outer shell, hooks, and spring mechanisms; clean dirt and rust.

- Regular lubrication: Apply high-temperature grease to moving parts (e.g., bearings, ratchets) to maintain flexibility.

- Professional calibration: Authoritative institutions should test locking speed and braking force annually to ensure compliance with safety standards.

 

IV. Safety Standards and Industry Applications

Fall arresters must comply with international standards (e.g., CE certification, OSHA regulations) and national mandatory safety requirements. Core parameters include:

- Locking distance: Typically required to be no more than 1.2 meters.

- Impact load capacity: Static load must reach over 22kN.

- Regular testing: The construction industry requires monthly self-inspection and annual third-party calibration.

 

Its applications cover:

- Construction: Protection for tower crane and scaffold workers.

- Power maintenance: Essential safety equipment for high-voltage tower inspection.

- Mining rescue: Fall protection for underground vertical operations.

- Industrial scenarios: Factory equipment maintenance and fire rescue.

 

V. Key Precautions

1. Modification or removal of safety components is strictly prohibited; rated load and speed limits must be strictly followed.

2. Workers must receive professional training, mastering equipment wearing, locking testing, and fault emergency handling (e.g., wedge block misalignment adjustment).

3. Scrap standards: Immediate replacement is required if there is structural damage, after a fall trigger, or if overdue for calibration.

 

The reasonable selection and standardized use of fall arresters are the cornerstone of aerial work safety. Users must select appropriate types based on actual scenarios and strictly implement maintenance procedures to ensure zero-accident operations.