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John J. McCarthy
Lovell Safety Management Co.
125 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038-491
Dear Mr. McCarthy:
This is in response to your letter, dated February 2, 1998, to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in which you asked whether shock absorbing lanyards were mandatory in a personal fall arrest system.
Shock absorbing lanyards are not mandatory but are often used to comply with OSHA's Subpart M requirements. The specifications for a personal fall arrest system are in 29 CFR 1926.502(d). One of the provisions in this section requires that when using a full body harness, the system must limit the maximum arresting force exerted on an employee to 1,800 pounds. One means of complying with this section is to use a shock absorbing lanyard.
If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again by writing to: Directorate of Construction-Office of Construction Standards and Compliance Assistance, Room S-1506, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
Sincerely,
Russell B. Swanson, Director
Directorate of Construction