A lanyard connects the harness to the anchor, and the single most important thing about it is whether it has a shock absorber.
A shock absorbing lanyard to BS EN 355 has a folded pack of stitched webbing that tears progressively under fall arrest load, limiting the force reaching the body to a survivable level. A restraint lanyard to BS EN 354 has no absorber at all — it is designed on the basis that it will never take a fall, because the geometry prevents you reaching a position from which one is possible.
The two look similar, sit in the same category and are not interchangeable. Check which you are buying.
Manufacturer specification. Fitted with snap hook one end. With grip adjuster and karabiner. Length: 1.6 – 10 mtr. Rope Size: 12mm. Conformity: BS EN 358, BS EN 795 Type B & C. Material: Rope: Polyamide / Fittings: /
Key Features
- Conforms to BS EN 358: The applicable standard for this product type
- Fitted with snap hook one end: As specified by the manufacturer
- With grip adjuster and karabiner: As specified by the manufacturer
- Length: 1.6 – 10 mtr
- Rope Size: 12mm
- Conformity: BS EN 358, BS EN 795 Type B & C. Material: Rope: Polyamide / Fittings: /
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA-40-906-100 |
| Std |
BS EN 358 |
BS EN 358 | LOLER Ready
Fitted with snap hook one end. With grip adjuster and karabiner. Length: 1.6 – 10 mtr. Rope Size: 12mm. Conformity: BS EN 358, BS EN 795 Type B & C. Material: Rope: Polyamide / Fittings: / Under LOLER 1998, lifting accessories and Category III PPE require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months, and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall or any overload.
Suitable Applications
Work at height where the operative is connected to an anchor point. Shock absorbing lanyards where a fall is possible; restraint lanyards only where the anchor position and lanyard length make reaching a fall position impossible. Y forked twin tail versions keep the user attached while moving between anchor points, which is when a single tail user would otherwise be unprotected.
More About This Product
The lanyard is where most fall protection systems are specified wrongly, and almost always in the same direction: a restraint lanyard used where fall arrest was needed.
It happens because the two look alike, cost similarly, hang in the same place in the store and are both described as lanyards. The difference is a folded pack of stitched webbing — the shock absorber — and on some designs it is tucked inside a cover where it is not obvious at a glance. A restraint lanyard is engineered on the assumption that it will never take a fall, and if it does, the forces reaching the body are far beyond what the human frame tolerates.
Fall Clearance: The Calculation Nobody Does
Ask most people how much clearance a 2 metre shock absorbing lanyard needs and they will say two metres. The real figure is a great deal more, and the gap between those two numbers is where people get hurt.
The calculation stacks up as follows. Lanyard length — as marked on the lanyard. Shock absorber deployment — the pack tears progressively and extends significantly. The figure for your specific lanyard is on its own label and must be read from there. The user's height below the attachment point — the dorsal D-ring is at shoulder height, so add roughly 1.5 m to reach the feet. A safety margin — because the calculation assumes ideal conditions and reality rarely provides them.
Added together these come to considerably more than the lanyard length, frequently more than double it. On a low working platform a shock absorbing lanyard may not prevent the ground being reached at all, which is why the calculation has to be done rather than assumed.
Where the clearance is not available, the answer is a retractable block, which arrests in a far shorter distance, or a restraint system where a fall is prevented rather than arrested.
How to Use
- Establish whether you need restraint or fall arrest: A restraint lanyard has no shock absorber and will not safely arrest a fall.
- Calculate fall clearance first: Lanyard length plus absorber deployment plus user height plus a safety margin. The total is well over the lanyard length.
- Attach to the harness dorsal D-ring: Not to a lateral or belt point.
- Never clip the spare tail back to the harness: On a Y forked lanyard it becomes a direct load path bypassing the absorber.
- Anchor as high as practicable: Reduces both fall distance and swing.
- Fit edge protection where the lanyard may cross an edge: Textile is cut by sharp edges under load.
Warning: Fall clearance must be calculated including shock absorber deployment, and the total is considerably more than the lanyard length. On a Y forked lanyard, never clip the unused tail back onto the harness — it transmits arrest forces directly to the user without the absorber acting.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Establish whether restraint or fall arrest is required before selecting a lanyard.
- Calculate fall clearance including absorber deployment.
- Never clip the unused tail back to the harness.
- Fit edge protection where the lanyard may cross an edge.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall or any sign of absorber deployment.
- Store away from direct sunlight, heat sources and chemicals.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
Inspect the full length on both faces for cuts, abrasion, fraying, heat glazing and chemical staining, and examine every termination and all stitching. Check the shock absorber pack closely for any sign of deployment, tearing or an opened cover — this is the single most important check, because a partially deployed absorber will not perform correctly. On rope lanyards run the length through your hands feeling for soft spots, hard spots and diameter changes that indicate core damage the sheath may not show. Check all connectors for gate operation and throat wear.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Restraint or fall arrest?
A restraint lanyard has no shock absorber and stops you reaching a position from which a fall is possible. A fall arrest lanyard has an absorber and catches you after you have gone over. They look similar and are not interchangeable.
Q: How much clearance do I need?
More than the lanyard length. Add absorber deployment, the user's height below the attachment point, and a safety margin. Getting this wrong is the most common serious error in fall arrest.
Q: Why must I not clip the spare tail to my harness?
Because in a fall it becomes a direct load path from the anchor to your body, bypassing the shock absorber entirely. It is the single most common misuse of a twin tail lanyard.
