Most retractable blocks assume an overhead anchor. Real work often does not allow one: on scaffolding, in a plant room, on a mobile platform, the only available anchor point is frequently at foot level. If you fall past an anchor level with your feet, you fall the full length of the webbing before it even begins to arrest you, and then the same distance again. That is a **fall factor 2**, and it generates forces far above what a standard block is designed to handle.
This block is rated for it. That single distinction is what you are paying the extra £17 for, and where the anchor cannot be overhead there is no alternative — a standard block used in that position is outside its certification and may not protect the user.
Key Features
- Fall factor 2 rated: Certified for use where the anchor is at or below the user's attachment point. The only block in this range that is.
- Same convenience as a standard block: Retracts as you move, locks on a fall, no slack webbing underfoot.
- Swivel fall indicator: Visual confirmation of whether the unit has arrested a fall.
- 2.5 metre travel: Matching the standard blocks.
- 50 mm polyester webbing and protective polymer casing.
- Snap hook at the attachment end with the swivel fall indicator at the anchorage end.
- Max user 140 kg including tools, resistance 15 kN.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA 20 302 02 |
| Travel |
2.5 m |
| Use |
Vertical and fall factor 2 |
| Webbing |
50 mm polyester |
| Casing |
PVC / polymer |
| Connectors |
Snap hook at attachment, swivel fall indicator at anchorage |
| Resistance |
15 kN |
| Maximum User Weight |
140 kg including equipment |
| Conformity |
BS EN 360 |
BS EN 360 | Fall Factor 2 Rated | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 360 for retractable type fall arresters, and is rated for vertical and fall factor 2 use, meaning the anchor may be at or below the user's attachment point. Category III PPE under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, covered by EU Type-Examination certificate 2777/10835-01 E12-01. Inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
Specify the factor 2 block wherever an overhead anchor is not available: scaffold erection and dismantling, plant rooms with anchors at deck level, mobile elevating work platforms, vessel and tank internals, and confined spaces where the anchor is on the floor. It is also the safer choice where the anchor position may vary through the job and cannot be guaranteed overhead. Where an overhead anchor is certain, the standard blocks do the same job for around £17 less.
More About This Product
A retractable block is the most mechanically complex item in a typical fall protection kit, and the only one the user cannot inspect internally. Everything else — harness, lanyard, connectors — can be examined by eye and hand. A block is a sealed case containing a spring, a drum, a brake and a fall indicator, and the user sees none of it.
That is why the pre-use checks matter so much. Winding the line fully out, feeling it retract, testing the lock with a sharp pull and checking the fall indicator are the only windows into whether the mechanism still works. They take under a minute and they are the difference between a working block and a heavy metal box.
Clearance, Edges and the Horizontal Question
Three things determine whether a block is the right choice, and all three are commonly got wrong.
Clearance. A block arrests in a much shorter distance than a lanyard, which is usually why it is chosen. But the arrest distance is not zero: it is the deceleration distance plus the user's height below the attachment point plus a safety margin. On a short block over a low structure the numbers get tight quickly, and the block's own datasheet gives the figure to work from.
Edges. Where the line can cross an edge in a fall, the edge becomes the failure point. A wire rope line will be cut by a sharp steel edge under fall arrest load as readily as webbing. Blocks specifically rated for leading edge use exist and are constructed differently; a standard block used over an edge is being used outside its approval.
Horizontal use. Most retractable blocks require an overhead anchor and are not approved for horizontal work. On a deck, a roof or a gantry the anchor is often at or below foot level, which changes both the fall factor and the way the line runs. Only a block specifically marked for horizontal use may be used that way, and it is not something to infer from the model name or the supplier's category page.
How to Use the Factor 2 Block
- Confirm the block is the factor 2 version: The standard FA 20 300 02 and FA 20 301 02 look similar and are not rated for it. Check the marking.
- Check the fall indicator before use.
- Test the locking action: Sharp pull, confirm it locks, confirm it retracts cleanly.
- Calculate clearance for factor 2: The required clearance is greater than for an overhead anchor, because the fall distance is longer before arrest begins.
- Guide the webbing back rather than releasing it.
- Avoid working at an angle from the anchor to prevent swing falls.
Warning: Fall factor 2 generates substantially higher forces and requires greater clearance below than an overhead anchor. Calculate accordingly. Never use a standard block in a factor 2 position, and never use any block whose fall indicator has triggered.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Maximum user weight 140 kg including tools.
- Check the fall indicator before every use.
- Test the locking action before every use.
- Calculate clearance for the actual anchor position; factor 2 needs more than overhead.
- Avoid working at an angle from the anchor.
- Withdraw immediately if the block has arrested a fall.
- Do not open the casing or attempt repair.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
As with the standard blocks, the mechanism is sealed and must not be opened. Pull the webbing fully out and inspect its whole length on both faces for cuts, abrasion, fraying and staining, then let it retract under control confirming it returns fully and smoothly. Test the locking action repeatedly. Examine the fall indicator, which on a factor 2 block matters even more, since the forces involved in a factor 2 arrest are higher and the unit is more likely to have been compromised. Check the casing for cracks and the snap hook for gate operation and throat wear.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a fall factor 2?
Fall factor is the distance fallen divided by the length of lanyard or webbing available to arrest it. If your anchor is at foot level and you fall past it, you fall the full webbing length before arrest even starts, then the same again: factor 2, the most severe case. The forces are far higher than an overhead anchor produces, which is why a specific rating exists.
Q: Is it worth £17 more?
If your anchor cannot be guaranteed overhead, it is not a matter of value, it is a matter of the equipment being suitable. A standard block used in a factor 2 position is outside its certification. Where an overhead anchor is certain, the standard block is the correct and cheaper choice.
Q: How do I tell them apart on site?
By the marking on the unit. They look similar, which is exactly why it is worth labelling them clearly in your own stores and keeping factor 2 blocks with the jobs that need them.
Q: Does factor 2 need more clearance?
Yes, considerably. You fall the full webbing length before arrest begins, so the total distance is greater than with an overhead anchor. Follow the clearance calculation in the manual for the actual anchor position rather than assuming the overhead figure applies.
