An unexpected location for falling danger, anchorage was the failure point here.
Previously, on Battlestar Galactica: …Ah, sorry, perhaps a little too much television lately. In our last article we were discussing the harness and anchorage system within fall arrest. Today we discuss the connectors and decelerators in fall arrest, cover fall restraint, and dabble into conclusions on fall protection in general.
The connector is the item which links the harness to the anchor. This element is usually a rope which can be either lifeline rope or static rope. Lifeline rope is designed to stretch when in tension, so that some of the energy of the fall is absorbed by the stretching. Static rope does not stretch, and is designed to reduce falling distance. Depending on the requirements of the site, either may be used, as long as the fall is stopped without damaging the person.