Benefits of Elevated Lifelines

High Plains Steel Services introduces custom system for enhanced ironworker safety

A few months ago, here at High Plains Steel Services out of Windsor, Colorado, we finished testing our new Elevated Lifeline System that was designed and manufactured in-house. While Elevated Lifelines are not yet specified in contract documents, OSHA rules, contractor rules, and the company’s emphasis on safety, made the use of an Elevated Lifeline necessary.

Some of the benefits of using any Elevated Lifeline are reducing total fall distances, providing easier rescue for workers, and lessening force experienced by workers during an arresting event. It’s also useful in non-emergency situations, including providing access to more of the steel structure and allowing workers to increase their efficiency by moving quickly on steel structures while remaining safe.

While similar Elevated Lifelines are available on the market, we decided to custom make our own for numerous reasons. One being that as a steel erector and fabricator, we were able to fabricate the elevated lifeline posts for a fraction of the cost as well as design them into the fabrication of the steel.

Countless hours were invested into designing and perfecting the Elevated Lifeline. Our team and Operations Managers for both our Fabrication and Erection Divisions worked with our structural engineer and safety consultant to develop an economical, light-weight system that is flexible enough to work on all structural projects while remaining light and easy to build.

High Plains has always had an emphasis on safety first, and the new Elevated Lifeline makes us more confident in our safety performance. Lives are at stake, and there is no room for compromise when it comes to quality.

Benefits of Elevated Lifelines are reducing total fall distances, providing easier rescue for workers, lessening force on workers in a fall, and for use in non-emergencies.

Custom design for ease of use

Elevated Lifelines on the market are universally adaptable to attach to any beam, which means they have adjustable anchoring devices that significantly add to their weight. This also means they can be placed anywhere, leaving more room for error, and giving iron workers the freedom to stray from the safety plan.

During preconstruction, our Operations Manager, along with Trivent Safety Consulting, provided a life safety plan to our project managers and detailers so holes can be added during the fabrication process for the bolted connection of the Elevated Lifeline posts. Our fabrication team pre-drilled holes in the beams to attach the lifeline and specially fabricated it to bolt to our beams in the field, which is one of the key features

A design-must was that our system didn’t have adjustable anchoring devices, to keep its weight significantly less than those on the market. Our weight limit for employees to lift by hand is 60 lbs., so we wanted to ensure our Elevated Lifeline fell under that requirement so that one ironworker can easily set up the Lifeline system without safety concerns.

Not only that, but since the Elevated Lifeline is shown on our erection drawings and prefabricated to fit on specific beams, we can ensure that it will be setup in the correct spot – per our life safety plan - with little to no risk of error, making the process a whole lot faster.

Through rigorous engineering, testing, and analysis, we know that our system has been dynamically tested for performance metrics and can ensure that our workforce is safe while working. With additional features such as bolted connections, adjustable lifelines, and shock-absorbing mechanisms, this system minimizes risks associated with falls from heights.

Our commitment to safety extends beyond just developing an effective fall arrest system. It’s important to prioritize comprehensive training programs for workers on proper usage and maintenance of the equipment. By ensuring that all users are well-informed about best practices, we know it will create a safer work environment for everyone involved on the job.

Through our commitment to safety, we have created a solution that addresses the specific needs of those working at heights while erecting steel and implementing the system at a fraction of the cost of what is currently on the market, and we are excited to start using it on structural steel projects later this year! •