Work positioning is what lets someone at height use both hands. The lanyard passes around a structural member and connects between the two lateral D-rings on a positioning belt, and the operative leans back into it. Both hands free, stable stance, and the work becomes a two-handed job instead of a one-handed struggle.
Adjustable from 1.2 to 2 metres, because the right length changes with every member you work from. A fixed lanyard means carrying several or accepting slack — and slack in a positioning lanyard means you can drop a short distance onto something with no shock absorber.
**Two requirements to be clear about.** You need a harness with **lateral D-rings** — a two point harness has none and cannot be used for positioning. And you must maintain a **separate fall arrest system** at the same time, because positioning is not fall protection.
Key Features
- Adjustable 1.2 m to 2 m: Set to the structure and the working position.
- Karabiner and snap hook fitted: Ready to use.
- Webbing or kernmantle: 30 mm webbing (£18.61) or 11 mm rope (£19.90).
- BS EN 358: The work positioning standard.
- Longer ranges available: The FA 40 903 XX grip adjuster version covers 0.6–2 m and 1.5–4 m for larger sections.
Technical Specifications
| Code |
Material |
Range |
Fittings |
Standard |
Cost |
| FA 40 901 20 |
30 mm polyester webbing |
1.2–2 m |
Karabiner + snap hook |
EN 358 |
£18.61 |
| FA 40 902 20 |
11 mm polyamide kernmantle |
1.2–2 m |
Karabiner + snap hook |
EN 358 |
£19.90 |
| FA 40 903 20 |
12 mm kernmantle |
0.6–2 m |
Snap hook + grip adjuster |
EN 358 |
£27.16 |
| FA 40 903 40 |
12 mm kernmantle |
1.5–4 m |
Snap hook + grip adjuster |
EN 358 |
£35.56 |
FA 40 902 20 is the positioning lanyard supplied in FA KIT 2, KIT 4 and KIT 7.
BS EN 358 Work Positioning — NOT Fall Arrest | Requires Lateral D-Rings
Conforms to BS EN 358 for work positioning systems. This is not fall arrest equipment and has no shock absorber. A separate fall arrest system connected to the harness dorsal D-ring must be maintained at all times. Requires a harness with lateral D-rings: the Fly'in 2 or 3, Mune 5, Speed Air 5, or a positioning belt such as the Akros 4.
Suitable Applications
Work at height from a fixed position where both hands are needed: steel erection and connection, telecoms and antenna installation, tower and mast maintenance, pole and utility work, and welding at height. The lanyard passes around the member and connects between the belt's lateral D-rings. For hot work, the Fire Free FA 40 905 20 is the flame resistant equivalent.
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.
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 the Positioning Lanyard
- Maintain fall arrest separately: This positions you; it does not catch you. The dorsal connection stays in place throughout.
- Connect between both lateral D-rings: Around the structure and back, so the belt loads evenly.
- Adjust out all slack: You should be supported, not able to fall onto it.
- Choose a sound structural member capable of taking your weight plus dynamic loading if you shift.
- Fit edge protection where the lanyard passes over sharp steel.
- Check the adjuster grips before leaning back.
Warning: Not a fall arrest device. A separate fall arrest system must be maintained at all times. Take up all slack when positioned — a slack positioning lanyard permits a short unabsorbed fall it is not designed to arrest.
Safety Information
- Work positioning only. Not fall arrest equipment.
- A separate fall arrest system must be connected at all times.
- Requires a harness with lateral D-rings.
- Use both lateral D-rings together.
- Remove all slack when positioned.
- Use edge protection where the lanyard bears on sharp structure.
- Inspect the full length, adjuster and both connectors before every use.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
The adjuster determines whether this lanyard works, and it wears. Confirm it grips positively under load without slipping and releases cleanly, since an adjuster that has begun to slip lets the user drop into slack — exactly what the lanyard exists to prevent. Inspect the full length with particular attention to the section that passes repeatedly through the adjuster, and to any part that bears against structure, since positioning lanyards take sustained load against steelwork. Check both connectors and all terminations.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What harness do I need?
One with lateral D-rings on a work positioning belt: Fly'in 2 or 3, Mune 5, Speed Air 5, or a separate belt such as the Akros 4. A two point harness has no lateral rings and cannot be used for positioning.
Q: Webbing or kernmantle?
£1.29 apart. Webbing lies flatter against the body; rope is rounder in the hand and feeds through an adjuster more smoothly. Both meet EN 358. Largely preference.
Q: Why does slack matter so much?
Because slack means you can fall a short distance onto the lanyard, and it has no shock absorber. Adjusted tight it supports you; adjusted loose it becomes a very short unabsorbed fall arrest lanyard, which is the worst of both.
