Can a body belt be used on an order picker?

A body belt is allowed to be used as part of a travel restraint system; however, it must eliminate the possibility of an employee going over the edge of a walking-working surface.

A travel restraint system rigged to allow free fall even a small distance would not be an acceptable system under Subpart D requirements. This is typically problematic with order pickers because of the size of a platform and the type of lanyard used.

A self-retracting lanyard does not eliminate the possibility of an employee going over the edge; therefore, it cannot be used as part of a travel restraint system. Self-retracting lanyards can only be used as part of a personal fall arrest system.

If a “static” lanyard and a body belt are used, the “static” lanyard must be short enough to prevent the employee from stepping off the edge of the platform. This means an employer would have to have multiple lanyard lengths to match the heights of all employees using them. Employers would also need to ensure the correct length is used by the correct employee.

Telling employees not to step off the edge of the platform while wearing a body belt and a self-retracting lanyard is not sufficient fall protection.

If using a travel restraint system does not TRULY eliminate the possibility of an employee going over the edge of that platform, then a harness (or guardrail system) is required. In reality, personal fall arrest (with a body harness) needs to be used when operating an order picker.