§ 1915.159 Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).

The criteria of this section apply to PFAS and their use. Effective January 1, 1998, body belts and non-locking snaphooks are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system.

(a) Criteria for connectors and anchorages. (1) Connectors shall be made of drop forged, pressed, or formed steel or shall be made of materials with equivalent strength.

(2) Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish, and all surfaces and edges shall be smooth to prevent damage to the interfacing parts of the system.

(3) D-rings and snaphooks shall be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile load of 5,000 pounds (22.24 Kn).

(4) D-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a minimum tensile load of 3,600 pounds (16 Kn) without cracking, breaking, or being permanently deformed.

(5) Snaphooks shall be sized to be compatible with the member to which they are connected to prevent unintentional disengagement of the snaphook caused by depression of the snaphook keeper by the connected member, or shall be of a locking type that is designed and used to prevent disengagement of the snap-hook by contact of the snaphook keeper by the connected member.

(6) Snaphooks, unless of a locking type designed and used to prevent disengagement from the following connections, shall not be engaged:

(i) Directly to webbing, rope or wire rope;

(ii) To each other;

(iii) To a D-ring to which another snaphook or other connector is attached;