Fall Protection Equipment, Safety Harnesses and Non-Slip Tape

Fall protection is for working at height, and non-slip tape adds grip to steps, ramps and walking surfaces. A properly selected fall-arrest system stops a fall after it starts, with an energy absorber limiting the force on your body. Grip tape improves footing, but it cannot replace that system.

Roofing fall protection kits and safety harnesses

For a roof-work setup, start with a Pro Roofer fall protection kit, a Super Anchor Max Pak fall protection kit in red or a Werner three-piece roofing safety system. Choose the setup around the roof attachment, your harness fit and the clearance below your work.

That preparation belongs ahead of Montana’s spring roofing repairs for ice-dam damage and the fall rush to close in before freeze. A short stretch of workable weather is a good reason to have your protection sorted before the crew climbs.

A fall protection safety harness is the body-support part of a personal fall-arrest system. It works with an anchorage and connecting equipment such as a lanyard or lifeline. Buy for fit first. The harness should sit snugly around your legs and chest without restricting movement or breathing. Move around after adjusting it. You need to bend and reach without loose straps catching on the work. In Montana’s shoulder seasons, check that fit over the layers you are actually wearing.

Fall protection anchors for roofs must match the roof and the connecting system. A sturdy-looking beam or pipe is no substitute for an established anchorage. Anchor location matters, too: anchoring above you helps reduce fall distance, while moving too far sideways can create a swing fall into the building. Choose the anchor and connection together.

At what height is fall protection required?

For residential construction, OSHA requires fall protection at 6 feet or more above a lower level, subject to its specific exceptions. Construction scaffolds have a different threshold: more than 10 feet above a lower level. Scaffold type determines the protection arrangement, so treat the height as the trigger for protection, not as a complete equipment selection.

Ladders and fall protection need their own assessment. Ladder safety systems address falls while climbing or descending; a roofing kit is not automatically a ladder-climbing system. Establish the protection for the climb as well as the work position.

The most secure approach starts by removing the fall hazard. Where that is not possible, a guardrail provides a barrier, and travel restraint keeps you from reaching the edge. Guardrails and hole covers are examples of passive fall protection: once properly installed, they protect without requiring you to keep making connections. Buy fall-arrest equipment for work where elimination and prevention cannot provide the protection needed.

Non-slip grit tape for steps and ramps

Stop The Slip black non-slip grit tape comes in a two-inch-wide, thirty-foot roll. Buy this format for traction strips you can cut to suit the walking surface. The roll lets you work across several separate areas without choosing a precut tread length.

Stop The Slip grit tape	Size or finish
Width	2 inches
Roll length	30 feet
Color	Black

For non-slip tape, the surface underneath matters as much as the grip on top. Smooth, clean, nonporous surfaces generally give adhesive a better bond. Rough concrete, unfinished wood and uneven surfaces require closer attention to surface preparation and adhesive suitability. Choose the tape for the actual surface before deciding how much to buy.

Standard abrasive tape suits many stairs and general work areas. Coarser grades are useful for heavy traffic and dirty work, while less aggressive textures make cleaning easier. For barefoot areas, choose a nonabrasive tape designed for skin contact. Those are different jobs, and the roughest surface is not the best answer to all of them.

Montana exterior steps bring moisture, temperature swings and tracked-in grit to the decision. Great Falls chinooks can change temperatures quickly, so outdoor tape needs backing and adhesive suited to that exposure. Apply tape to a clean, fully dry surface at its required application temperature. A warm afternoon does not necessarily mean a shaded step has warmed enough for application.

Keep road-salt residue, loose dirt and grease off the bonding surface. Press the tape firmly into contact, and inspect the edges as it wears. Replace strips that are lifting, torn or worn smooth. Good adhesion keeps the traction surface where your boot needs it.

Shock-absorbing lanyards and fall protection SRLs

Buy a shock-absorbing lanyard for a fall-arrest connection that needs to decelerate a falling worker and limit force on the body. Energy-absorbing lanyards commonly come in fixed lengths of 3 to 6 feet. That length describes the connector, not the clearance you need below you.

The absorber extends during deployment. Choose the connection using the total available fall clearance, including the distance to a lower roof, platform or other obstruction. A short drop to an obstruction makes clearance the deciding specification. Calculate it for each work location rather than carrying the previous roof’s setup forward.

A fall protection SRL is a self-retracting lifeline. Compare its required clearance and permitted anchorage position with the job. For leading-edge exposure, choose a device specifically rated for that use. Retracting action alone does not establish an edge rating.

A single-leg lanyard is typically lighter than a dual-leg version. Buy dual-leg equipment for transitions that require continuous tie-off; its purpose is to let you stay connected while changing locations. Positioning lanyards serve a different purpose and must not be used for fall arrest.

Fall protection training should leave you able to fit, inspect and use the actual equipment on the job. Inspect your harness before every use, including webbing, stitching, connectors and buckles. Remove a harness that has been through a fall from service, and retire a lanyard after it arrests a fall or its absorber deploys. Plan the rescue before work begins so the crew knows how to recover a suspended worker.

The Pick

Buy a roofing fall protection kit for a roof-work setup, with the harness, anchor and connection selected together for the roof and available clearance. Buy a shock-absorbing lanyard for a compatible fall-arrest system with room for absorber deployment. Buy Stop The Slip two-inch by thirty-foot black grit tape for cut-to-length traction strips on suitable walking surfaces. Protect the elevated work and improve the footing along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what height is fall protection required?

For residential construction, fall protection is required at 6 feet or more above a lower level, subject to specific exceptions. Construction scaffolds have a threshold of more than 10 feet above a lower level. Height isn’t the only concern: construction work above dangerous equipment requires protection even below 6 feet. Your site’s requirements can also be stricter, so establish the protection needed for the task before work begins.

What type of fall protection is the most secure?

Removing the fall hazard comes first. If that isn’t possible, fall prevention keeps you away from the hazard; properly installed guardrails and hole covers are passive examples because they don’t depend on you making connections as you work. Travel restraint keeps you from reaching an edge, while fall arrest stops a fall after it starts. Use fall arrest when elimination and prevention aren’t viable, with an effective rescue plan in place.

What fall protection equipment uses a body harness?

A personal fall-arrest system uses a full-body harness connected to an appropriate anchorage through equipment such as a lanyard or lifeline. The harness supports your body, but it can’t stop a fall on its own. Check its labeled weight rating separately from the anchor’s rating, because worker capacity and the force an anchor can withstand aren’t the same measurement.

What is an SRL in fall protection?

An SRL is a self-retracting lifeline used as the connecting device in a fall-protection system. Select it around the available fall clearance and permitted anchor position, including any lower level or obstruction you could hit. Only specific SRLs are rated for leading-edge use, and that rating is marked on the product label. Retracting action alone doesn’t make a device suitable for that exposure.

How can employers make sure workers use fall protection properly?

Workers need training in the safe use of the actual equipment, including fitting the harness, recognizing damage and making approved connections. Your crew also needs to understand the site’s fall hazards and what to do in an emergency. Before work starts, identify the rescue resources and training needed to recover a suspended worker promptly. A harness that has been through a fall must come out of service, and a lanyard must be retired after arresting a fall or deploying its energy absorber.