How to Stay Safe with Altec’s Lanyard Detection System

When was the last time you jumped in the car, threw it into gear, and sped away, irritated that you’re running late—again? Then suddenly, your muttering is interrupted by a loud ding: that not-so-subtle reminder to buckle up.

How about our favorite weekend chore? Have you ever dragged out the mower, checked the oil and fuel, grabbed the starter and pulled and pulled and pulled—and nothing. The lawnmower would not allow you to proceed.

Seat belt alarm does not stop the vehicle from operating and turns off after several seconds.

Similar to those systems, fall protection safety systems help protect workers from falling from height. On truck-mounted aerial devices, proper personal protective equipment (PPE) means wearing a full-body harness and fall-arrest lanyard hooked to the designated anchor point.

While PPE can save your life when worn correctly, it can be dangerous when not properly inspected, maintained, fitted and secured—or if you override its function or even fail to attach it to the anchor point. It is a good choice to add a lanyard detection option since it provides another reminder for operators to connect their lanyards.

Increasing Safety with the Altec Lanyard Detection System

Altec was presented with an opportunity to remind operators about safety, so we engineered the Altec Lanyard Detection System for insulating aerials. Our optional fall-prevention solutions are factory installed and compatible with existing lanyards. Plus, the system’s maintenance-free power supply means you will not need to periodically check and replace batteries.

As in our examples with vehicle seatbelts and lawnmowers, these safety systems provide protection in one of two ways:

• A Lanyard Alert system blasts an alarm at the platform when the ISO-Grip interlock is engaged, but a lanyard is not attached. The unit will continue to function, but the alarm will sound until the operator is properly secured.
• Under the same conditions—when the lanyard is not attached and the ISO-Grip is engaged—the Lanyard Interlock system not only sounds an alarm but actually prevents operation of the aerial upper controller.

Either one of these factory-installed lanyard detection systems is available right now on most large aerial devices.

To keep operators from attempting to bypass the lanyard detect system, Altec has also engineered an Anti-tie down function with electronic sensors that help prevent the use of shortcuts that could bypass the safety system. This feature works with both the Lanyard Alert and Lanyard Interlock systems to reduce the risk of misuse and help improve jobsite safety. Now you can be confident your operators are reminded to clip in correctly before operating an aerial device.

OSHA Guidelines

Lack of fall protection consistently tops the OSHA’s list of most-cited violations each year and OSHA and ANSI have established guidelines to decrease the risk of injury from falls at height.

Put simply, OSHA urges operators to:

1. Plan ahead to get the job done safely.

Always take precautions to prevent falls. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved and what safety equipment is needed to complete each task.

2. Provide the right safety equipment.

Always use PPE and never override a safety feature. To prevent falling from truck-mounted aerial devices, keep your feet firmly on the floor of the platform. Wear a full-body harness with a fall-arrest lanyard firmly attached to the anchor point.

3. Train everyone to use it.

It’s critical that operators are trained in the proper use of safety equipment. Altec also delivers a variety of OSHA and ANSI compliant instructor-led and online training courses for aerials, derricks and cranes.

For more information, take a look at these essential safety resources, including fall protection measures, industry-standard updates, new crane regulations and other links to regulatory guidance.

Expanded Availability on Altec Units

Recently Altec has expanded our Lanyard Detection System offerings to various pieces of Altec equipment. The Lanyard Detection System is now available on select AA, AN, AN Elevators, AN-OC, AM, A Class and LR8 units.

For more information on the Altec Lanyard Detection System and other Altec product options, call 800-958-2555 or contact an Altec representative online.