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Guaranteeing the workers’ safety effectively means keeping the personal fall protection equipment constantly efficient. The EN 365 establishes that all fall protection equipment must be inspected in-depth at least every 12 months to determine the presence of defects which reduce their efficiency. These inspections can be performed only by a skilled person, who is aware of the periodic inspection procedures. Cofra, through a team of engineers and technicians specialized in the fall arrest sector, holds several training courses about the procedures of periodic inspection and an Inspection and Repair Centre that carries out the yearly inspection of the personal fall protection equipment used on the workplace.

TRAINING COURSES
INSPECTION OF FALL ARRESTER EQUIPMENT
The course is aimed at anyone who intends to carry out the inspection of COFRA s.r.l. fall protection equipment on his own or on behalf of third parties. The objective of the course is to provide all the information necessary to inspect the various devices. At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance is provided.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF RETRACTABLE DEVICES
The course is aimed at anyone who intends to carry out maintenance and repair of Cofra s.r.l. retractable devices on his own or on behalf of third parties. The objective of the course is to provide all the information necessary to carry out the diagnosis of retractable devices and make the necessary repairs. At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance is provided.

INSPECTION AND REPAIR CENTRE OF FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
COFRA has its own inspection and repair centre of fall protection equipment. The flexibility of services offered by our centre allow to carry out the inspection of all products at COFRA or directly at the user's premises.

STANDARDS

EN 354	Lanyards
EN 355	Energy absorbers
EN 358	Work positioning and restraint belts and work positioning lanyards
EN 360	Retractable type fall arresters
EN 361	Full body harnesses
EN 362	Connectors
EN 363	Personal protective systems against falls
EN 795	Anchorage devices
EN 813	Belts with thigh straps
PPE-R/11.062_V1	Devices tested with loads exceeding 100 kg
PPE-R/11.060_V1	Retractable devices tested for horizontal use on sharp edge
REACH	In order to safeguard the consumers' health, the European Union issued the Reach regulation (come into force on 1^st June 2007) which forbids the use of certain chemicals. COFRA guarantees the compliance of all its products with the REACH regulation; they do not contain carcinogen substances or mentioned in the European list of forbidden substances and, in order to grant it, all raw materials used during production are subjected to controls.

TEST METHODS AND CERTIFICATIONS

COFRA branded body harnesses and work positioning belts, belonging to the category of personal protective equipment for work positioning and the prevention of falls from a height, have been designed and developed entirely by COFRA technicians based on in-depth and extensive engineering and marketing research, with the aim of offering the end-user the highest standards of quality and reliability. They are fully guaranteed by certifications and comply with all current regulations on fall protection. The two key tests performed on body harnesses are the static test and the dynamic test.

STATIC TEST
	The test torso and harness are placed in the testing rig and a force of 15 kN is applied between the fastening element of the harness and the lower ring of the test torso. The same test is repeated applying a force of 10 kN between the fastening element of the harness and the upper ring of the test torso. The static force applied is maintained for 3 minutes after which checks are made to ensure that the harness has not become detached from the test torso. The test is performed for each fastening element on the harness.
DYNAMIC TEST
	The harness is fitted onto the test torso and secured to the rig with a lanyard. The torso is allowed to fall feet first for approximately 4 m before the lanyard becomes taut; using the same lanyard, the test is repeated immediately, allowing the torso to fall head first for approximately 4 m. After each fall, checks are made to ensure that the harness has not become detached from the torso and that the angle of inclination between the longitudinal axis of the torso’s dorsal area and the vertical axis does not exceed 50°. Both phases of the dynamic test are applied to each attachment point designed for fall arrest and bearing the relative marking.
DOLOMITICERT Longarone (BL) ITALIA

SIZES

The size chart is only an indicative instrument to select the size. Each person has his/her own body shape, therefore before any use it is always necessary to wear the harness in compliance with the procedures indicated in the informative note. It should be remembered that the harness must be adjusted so that it is close-fitting to reduce the injury risk in case of fall. It is important to make with its own equipment some movements and a suspension test on each dorsal and sternal anchorage point, to be sure that the size is correct, that it is comfortable enough for the recommended use and that the adjustment is fine.

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES

	HIGH-TENACITY POLYESTER STRAP	The strap is made of high-tenacity polyester making it highly resistant to tear and abrasion.
	KERNMANTLE ROPE	The static rope with kernmantle weave is characterised by a composite structure comprising a stress-resistant inner kern and an outer mantle to protect the kern from abrasion, UV rays, weather conditions, oil, fire and heat. In addition, the mantle acts as a visible indicator of the rope’s wear.
	STEEL COMPONENTS	Steel resists perfectly to the considerable stresses which develop during a fall. All steel components have undergone anticorrosive galvanisation treatment with zinc or chrome.
	ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS	Aluminium is a very light metal offering the same mechanical performance as steel. It resists the considerable stresses which develop during a fall. All aluminium components have undergone anticorrosive anodization treatment.
	SCREW	The Screw lock is the simplest locking mechanism while maintaining a high level of safety.

	TWIST	Automatic screw locking system with two actions, it improves safety thanks to the automatic screw locking system.

	TRIPLE	Automatic screw locking system with three actions, it improves safety thanks to the automatic locking system with axial sliding of the screw.

	KEY-LOCK	KEY-LOCK closure is designed to avoid the need for locking rivets to close the carabiner; this makes the device functional and means that the rope cannot be snagged when the carabiner is being closed.

PLUS

	ELASTYX	ELASTYX technology successfully introduces the concept of a strong weave elasticated strap offering unrivalled fit and comfort, as well as exceptional freedom of movement thanks to the interweaving of high-tenacity polyester and elastane, while maintaining high resistance to tear and abrasion performance.
	QUICK-RELEASE BUCKLES	Quick-release buckles offer the user fast and easy locking while maintaining high resistance to stresses.
	3D PERSPIREX	3D-Perspirex technology takes advantage from three-dimensional weave of the coating sponge to increase total breathability and comfort for the end user.
	LOOP TOOL CARRIER	The loop tool carrier offers the user easy and accessible storage of work tools when they are not in use.
	REVERSE-D	Thanks to REVERSE-D technology, attachment points can be folded away and closed at any time, and whenever they are not needed. The ability to shut away attachment points prevents the user from remaining accidentally stuck or caught on protrusions and dangerous snags.
	SWIVEL	The SWIVEL system prevents the strap from twisting around itself, avoiding the sudden blockage of the device and enabling the user to work with complete freedom of movement.
	FALL INDICATOR	The fall indicator improves the user’s safety by displaying whether or not the device can still be used.
	HORIZONTAL USE ON SHARP EDGE	The Retractable devices certified for horizontal use on sharp edge are subjected to additional tests verifying : - the suitability of device to arrest the fall when it is positioned horizontally - the breaking resistance of the cable on sharp edge having a radius greater than or equal to 0,5mm
	EXTREME LOAD 150 kg	The additional test certifies the resistance of COFRA devices against a maximum nominal load of 150 kg, compared with the 100 kg of the normal devices on the market.
	EXTREME LOAD 120 kg	The additional test certifies the resistance of COFRA devices against a maximum nominal load of 120 kg, compared with the 100 kg of the normal devices on the market.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS AGAINST FALLS FROM A HEIGHT

Personal protective systems against falls from a height protect the user against falls from a height by preventing or arresting falls. In particular:

Fall arrest is the action which prevents the user from hitting the ground, a structure or other obstacles during a fall.
Fall prevention is the action which stops the user from approaching an area where there is a risk of falling.
Work positioning is the action which allows the operator to work tensioned or suspended in a way that avoids falls.

A personal protective system against falls consists of an assemblage of components which are either permanently connected to each other or can be separated. It is comprised of: body harness, secure anchorage point and connection system.

FALL ARREST SYSTEM
A system that arrests falls and limits the impact force on the body of the user during fall arrest. The main characteristics of a generic fall arrest system are as follows: • the system limits the length of the fall but does not prevent it; • the system allows the user to access areas or positions where there is a risk of falling, but if a fall occurs it is arrested immediately; • the system leaves the user suspended after an arrested fall. A fall arrest system must be assembled in such a way as to prevent the user from hitting the ground, a structure or any other obstacle. The minimum required distance beneath the user’s feet must be determined; see the manufacturer’s instructions. In a fall arrest system, the body harness is the only device suitable for holding the body. A fall arrest system must include energy absorption elements or functions to ensure that impact forces on the user’s body are limited to a maximum of 6 kN. In particular, a fall arrest system includes: body harness, secure anchorage point and connection system.

RESTRAINT SYSTEM
A system which prevents falls from a height by limiting the user’s movement. The main characteristics of a generic restraint system are as follows: • the system limits the user’s movement so that they cannot reach areas where there is a risk of falling from a height; • the system is not designed to arrest falls from a height; • the system is not designed for work situations where the user needs to be supported by a body harness. A restraint system must be assembled in such a way as to prevent the user from reaching areas or positions where there is a risk of falling from a height. Any suitable body harness and any suitable lanyard may be used. In particular, a restraint system includes: body harness, secure anchorage point and connection system.

WORK POSITIONING SYSTEM
A system which allows the user to work tensioned or suspended in a way that avoids falls. The main characteristics of a generic work positioning system are as follows: • the system prevents the user from falling; • the system is not designed to arrest falls from a height; • the system allows users to position themselves in the work area tensioned or suspended. In work positioning systems the user generally relies on the support equipment; work positioning systems, therefore, do not perform the function of fall arrest, so an auxiliary system to perform this function must be supplied. Moreover, work positioning systems should be adjustable. In particular, the components of work positioning systems include: body harness, secure anchorage point and connection system.

ESSENTIAL GUIDE FACTORS IN PROTECTING AGAINST FALLS FROM A HEIGHT

The personal protective system against falls from a height consists of an assemblage of connected components; for the system to work correctly certain essential factors must be taken into consideration, such as the clearance, the fall factor and the pendulum effect, and how they interact with each other. The assessment of these factors determines which components should be assembled to give adequate protection.

CLEARANCE AND FALL FACTOR
CLEARANCE (min H) The minimum distance from the ground (or from any other protruding object) at which the anchorage point must be positioned to guarantee the user a minimum safe falling space, measured vertically from the anchorage point to the collision surface. Therefore , clearance results from the addition of ΔL which represents the arrest distance of the energy absorber, L which represents the total length of the entire device of the original connection, H which represents the length of the body + 1 m which represents safety distance. To calculate the arrest distance it is necessary to take into account also a possible extension of anchorage point EN 795. The arrest distance of the energy absorber (ΔL) changes in accordance with the change of the total length of the lanyard, of the fall factor and of test mass.

FALL FACTOR The fall factor represents an instant measure of the fall’s level of danger; particularly important are cases where values of 0,1 or 2 are obtained, as shown in the diagrams below. The fall factor is calculated with the formula F= fall height / lanyard length.

FALL FACTOR 0 The anchorage point is above the user and the tensioned lanyard immediately arrests any accidental fall. In this case, it is not obligatory to use an energy absorber although its use is strongly recommended. Fall factor 0 represents optimal operating conditions.

FALL FACTOR 1 The anchorage point is at the same level as the attachment points on the user’s harness. The fall arrest lanyard is not tensioned and must be integrated with an energy absorber which, being activated only partially, must be able to limit the inevitable kick caused by the fall arrest. Fall factor 1 represents normal operating conditions.

FALL FACTOR 2 The anchorage point is below the user, or at the level of their feet. The fall arrest lanyard must be integrated with an energy absorber which, being fully activated given the increased height, must be able to limit the inevitable kick caused by the fall arrest. Fall factor 2 represents critical operating conditions.

PENDULUM EFFECT
The dangerous oscillation the user would be subjected to if the anchorage point is not fixed vertically with respect to the actual position of the user. Such lateral oscillation could expose the user to dangerous collisions with close obstacles of different kinds, causing a range of injuries. Often, given the nature of the work zone, it is not possible to secure an anchorage point vertical to the position of the user; in this case oscillation can be prevented by using to different anchorage points situated on both sides of the user.

TYPES OF PROTECTION

	FALL ARREST SYSTEM	Fall arrest devices are employed simultaneously in order to prevent the injurious fall to the ground of the user.
	RESTRAINT SYSTEM	Fall restraint devices are employed simultaneously in order to prevent the user from reaching a position where there is a risk of falling.
	WORK POSITIONING SYSTEM	Work positioning devices are employed simultaneously in order to maintain the user in a sustained and stable position, enabling them to use both hands while working and in such a way as to prevent a free fall.

ATTACHMENT POINTS

PUNTO-DI-ATTACCO-DORSALE

DORSAL ATTACHMENT POINT

Device with a single rear dorsal attachment point for fall arrest.

PUNTI-DI-ATTACCO-DORSALE-E-STERNALE-A2

DORSAL AND STERNAL ATTACHMENT POINTS A/2

Device with two attachment points for fall arrest, one on the rear and one on the front (obtained by connecting two semi-attachment points A/2).

PUNTI-DI-ATTACCO-DORSALE-E-LATERALE

DORSAL AND LATERAL ATTACHMENT POINTS

Device with three attachment points. One on the rear for fall arrest and two lateral points for restraint and work positioning.

PUNTI-DI-ATTACCO-DORSALE-STERNALE-A2-E-LATERALI

DORSAL, STERNAL A/2 AND LATERAL ATTACHMENT POINTS

Device with four attachment points, one on the rear and one on the front (obtained by connecting two semi-attachment points A/2) for fall arrest, and two on the side for restraint and work positioning.

PUNTI-DI-ATTACCO-LATERALI

LATERAL ATTACHMENT POINTS

Device with two lateral attachment points for restraint and work positioning.

	A Dorsal anchor point for fall arrest
	A Sternal anchor point for fall arrest
	A/2 Fall arrest semi-attachment points
	Work positioning attachment point