What is the Fall Factor?
To understand what the fall factor is, first, let's understand the following definitions.
● Fall Prevention: Limiting access to areas where a fall hazard exists.
● Fall Arrest: Allowing for the possibility of a fall but preventing the person from hitting the ground.
Impact Force refers to the amount of energy transmitted to the rope and the anchor point at the moment a falling person is stopped (not from hitting the ground). The unit is kN (1 kN = 1000 N ≈ 100 kg force).
A person should never be subjected to an impact force of 6 kN or greater. Excessive impact force can cause injury to the person or failure of the anchor point. The following are methods to reduce impact force:
Reduce the Fall Factor (FF)
Use energy-absorbing equipment
Fall Factor (FF): FF = Total Fall Distance ÷ Length of Rope In Use