Fall clearance and swing fall hazards are critical issues that are often overlooked when working at height. Many workers underestimate the serious consequences of miscalculating clearances, including serious injury and death. When it comes to fall clearance and swing fall hazards, there is no margin for error.
Should a fall occur, there must be a sufficient clearance below the worker to arrest the fall before he or she strikes either the ground or any other object. Workers must determine if the fall protection system will arrest the fall within the available clearance. To do so, certain things need to be taken into account (see Figure 1).