Apparatus and Method for Securing Fall Arrest Equipment

Abstract

An apparatus and method that allows a user to secure a fall arrest system to equipment in locations not originally intended to be used for fall safety equipment. By utilizing non-conventional anchor points to secure the fall arrest system, a user can provide adequate and compliant fall arrest protection on equipment without violating the environmental or structural integrity of the equipment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for securing fall safety equipment. More specifically, the invention is directed to an apparatus and method for securing fall safety equipment to locations not originally intended to be used with fall safety equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is currently a requirement that persons working above ground level, performing repairs, installing equipment, or performing maintenance, be outfitted with adequate protection against the possibility of accidental falls to the ground below. Because even a fall from a short distance can cause serious bodily injury or death, the ability to provide adequate fall protection is imperative. This is even true, when the height of the surface above the ground is as little as six feet, and some local and federal regulations require fall protection of some kind for all work above a height of as little as three feet above ground level. For example, Occupational Safety & Health Administration regulation 29 C.F.R. §1926.502 dictates the minimum requirements for such fall protection equipment.

Fall protection is necessary when a worker is working atop structures such as buildings and towers. Furthermore, because of the height above ground level, fall protection may also be necessary when working on large-scale utility electric transformers, electric circuit breakers, switchgear, including metal clad switchgear and relay stations. A common configuration for fall protection comprises a safety harness for each worker that is releasable attached by a tether line and carabineer or shackle to an overhead fall arrest system anchored to a secure point on a structure above the worker to prevent a fall to the ground below. If a worker wearing a safety harness attached to a fall arrest system, does fall, the overhead fall arrest system will detect the free falling worker and will in turn prevent the tether line from feeding freely, thereby stopping the workers fall before he can contact the surface below.

It is often difficult however to find attachment points for portable overhead fall arrest systems that are suitable to accommodate the forces exerted by a falling worker. This is especially true on structures that were designed and built without fall protection in mind. In order to redress this concern, portable fall arrest systems may be employed to install an overhead anchor point for a fall arrest system. Various portable extendable fall arrest anchor posts are commercially available. Such posts are commonly referred to as “Maypoles,” or “Uni-Hoists®.”

A Maypole provides the required overhead fixation point and allows workers to utilize fall arrest and fall protection systems in areas where it was not originally envisioned. Such fall arrest systems typically require invasive and permanent mounting points for the Maypole type device. Also, these mounting points may damage the environmental and structural integrity of a structure or building, and are typically not suitable for use on roof tops, where mounting and environmental concerns are an issue.

Accordingly, there is therefore a need for an apparatus and method that provides a fixation point that can readily be attached to a structure, such as an electrical transformer, when required without causing any environmental or structural concerns that typically exist utilizing permanent anchor points. It is also desirable that the apparatus be easily removable from the structure without causing damage to the integrity of such a structure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a principle object of the invention therefore to provide for an easily securable and easily removable apparatus to temporarily secure a fall arrest system to the roof of a structure, such as an electrical transformer, electric circuit breakers, switchgear, including metal clad switchgear and relay stations that will not damage the integrity of the structure. The invention advantageously utilizes structural elements of the structure itself that were not originally intended or previously used to secure fall arrest equipment as the anchor points for the fall arrest system.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a fall arrest anchor post is secured to a base. The base is attached to a base cross member. The base cross member is also attached to a plurality of base foot members, wherein the base foot member are releasably securable to a plurality of surface structures found on the equipment.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a receiver is utilized to anchor a fall arrest anchor post to a lifting eye of a structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an exemplary first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3A shows a cross sectional view of a rain guard structure and an exemplary mounting base of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a rear view of the second embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the second embodiment of the present invention as depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of the second embodiment of the present invention as depicted in FIGS. 5 to 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an apparatus for securing portable fall protection equipment in locations not originally intended to support fall protection equipment. More specifically, large equipment, such as electrical utility transformers, electric circuit breakers, switchgear, including metal clad switchgear and relay stations do not normally provide for the anchor points for the installation of fall protection equipment on their surfaces. As a consequence, the present invention is capable of cost effectively utilizing non-traditional anchor points to secure commercially available fall protection equipment. The present invention therefore advantageously does not require any modification of the original electrical utility equipment, is noninvasive, and is easily removable.

In one example, the roof of a typical electrical utility transformer or switch gear is located six to eight feet above the surrounding surface. When it becomes necessary for a worker to perform repairs or installations on top of an electrical utility transformer or switchgear, a fall arrest system must be employed. Existing fall arrest anchor post may provide an adequate anchor point for a fall arrest system. However, many utility transformer and switchgear enclosures are not originally designed with, nor contain any anchor points to secure a fall arrest anchor post, i.e., a Maypole, or other fall arrest protection equipment. The present invention advantageously utilizes non-traditional anchor points to secure the fall arrest anchor post equipment. Moreover, the present invention is non-invasive and easily removable so as not to damage the structural and environmental integrity of the equipment and to allow ease of removal and installation.

Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views as used in the description herein, the meaning of “a “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes both “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meanings of “and” and “or” include both the conjunctive and disjunctive and may be used interchangeably unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

An exemplary embodiment of the anchoring system according to the present invention will now be described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 depicts a top view of an anchoring system 1 for a fall arrest anchor post 60. FIG. 2 provides a rear view and FIG. 3 provides a side view of the anchoring system 1. FIGS. 2 and 3 depict anchoring system 1 disposed on an electrical utility transformer roof 10. Transformer roof 10 typically includes a number of rain guards 50 to direct rain off the roof of the transformer. The depicted anchoring system 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention utilizes the rain guards as anchor points for a standard fall arrest anchor post, such as a Maypole type fall arrest system.

The anchoring system 1 includes a fall arrest anchor post mounting base 70 attached to cross member 20 utilizing known techniques, such as welding or bolting. Cross member 20 is further attached to base foot members 30 and 40. Cross member 20 may be a rectangular cross section metal bar or tube, and is of sufficient length to span at least the distance between two adjacent rain guards of a structure, such as, for example a transformer.

As better seen in FIG. 3A, base foot members 30 and 40, have a “C” shaped cross section, and may be constructed from conventional C-channel materials. The C channel material contains a horizontal portion 33 and two vertical portions 35. Horizontal portion 33 is dimensioned to be larger than the horizontal dimension 53 of rain guards 50. The two vertical portions of the C-channel are shorter than the vertical height 55 of rain guards 50, thereby ensuring that when base foot members 30 and 40 are placed on top of rain guards 50, the two horizontal surfaces 33 and 53 will contact on another.

The horizontal section 33 of the C-channel of base foot members 30 and 40 should be larger than horizontal section 53 of rain guards 50 to allow base foot members 30 and 40 to fit over rain guards 50, but not so large as to yield excessive space. Typically, the horizontal section 33 of the C-channel material utilized for base foot members 30 and 40 should be one inch bigger than the horizontal surface 53 of rain guards 50. This spacing provides sufficient room for clamping screws 90 to apply sufficient lateral force against rain guard 50 to hold base foot members 30 and 40 in place.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, cross member 20 bolts to base foot members 30 and 40 utilizing bolts 80. Bolts 80 may be located in adjustable channels of cross member 20 or in a series of adjacent holes, to provide an infinite number of adjustment possibilities to account for differences in the spacing between rain guards 50. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that cross member 20 and base foot members 30 and 40, may be welded together as well, to form a single support base unit without departing from the present invention. It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art, that base foot members 30 and 40, and cross member 20 could be fashioned from a single continuous piece of metal without departing from the present invention.

Base foot members 30 and 40 secure to rain guards 50 utilizing clamping screws 90. Clamping screws 90 apply outwardly lateral pressure from base foot members 30 and 40 on rain guards 50, thereby securing base members 30 and 40 in place without damaging the integrity of roof 10. Other temporary securing techniques may be employed in place of clamping screws 90, without departing from the present invention as long as such techniques do not damage the integrity of the transformer unit roof 10. Suitable alternative techniques include for example pressure clamps, spring clamps, wedges, etc. As will be appreciated the same advantageous installation techniques depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 are equally applicable to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1a.

A standard fall arrest anchor post 60, is installed into fall arrest anchor post base 70, to provide the overhead anchor point for worker fall protection. By utilizing rain guards 50, the present invention advantageously exploits non-traditional anchor points for anchoring fall arrest anchor post 60 and thereby providing compliant fall protection for workers.

FIG. 4 depicts an alternative embodiment of anchoring system 1. This alternative embodiment allows anchor system 1 to be advantageously broken down into smaller lighter weight components, making it easier to transport and install. As seen in FIG. 4, foot members 30 and 40 are replaced by foot member sections 300 and 310 and 400 and 410, respectively. Foot members 300 and 310, and 400 and 410, are connected by span members 350 and 450, respectively, thereby creating the functionally equivalent parts to base foot members 30 and 40. Span members 350 and 450 connect foot members 300 and 310, and 400 and 410, respectively, utilizing releasable fasteners such as screws or bolts, but other fasteners, such as releasable pins are also acceptable. Cross member 20, utilizing bolts 80 mounts to span members 350 and 450 rather than directly to base foot member 30 and 40. Bolts 80 may be located in adjustable channels of cross member 20 or in a series of adjacent holes, to provide an infinite number of adjustment possibilities to account for differences in the spacing between base foot span members 350 and 450. Fall arrest anchor post base 70 is mounted to cross member 20. Base foot members 300, 310 and 400, 410 have the same channel shape as base foot members 30 and 40, thereby ensuring the proper placement and spacing atop rain guards 50.

It should be readily understood that the present invention is not limited to anchoring systems that only secure fall arrest posts to rain guards of transformers. The present invention encompasses advantageously anchoring systems that secure to other structures of, for example, electric circuit breakers, switchgear, including metal clad switchgear and relay stations. For example, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an anchoring system utilizes a lifting-eye of utility structures as the anchoring point. More specifically, FIGS. 5 to 8 depict such an anchoring system 200. Commonly, electrical utility structures, such as transformers, due to the excessive weight and bulk, require installation via crane or other overhead lifting equipment. As a result, many pieces of equipment contain a lifting eye in their tops to move such pieces of equipment. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lifting eye on the transformer equipment is used as a anchor point for a receiver system containing a standard fall arrest anchor post, such as a Maypole type fall arrest system. In anchoring system 200, the equipment's lifting eye is beneficially utilized as the non-conventional anchor point for securing fall arrest equipment to a fall arrest anchor post receiver.

Referring to FIG. 5, anchoring system 200 includes a receiver, e.g., fall arrest anchor post base 170 that utilizes holes 110 and supports 115 for receiving the fall arrest anchor post 60. Fall arrest anchor post base 170 is mounted atop base support 120. Base support 120 may be one of several configurations, as long as it is structurally sufficient to support the weight and force from fall arrest anchor post 60 and fall arrest anchor post base 170. Exemplary configurations of base support 120 include a solid rectangular piece of structural metal, a metal I-beam, a rectangular cross section hollow metal tube, a square cross section hollow metal tube or the like. Base support 120 may be welded to fall arrest anchor post base 170 although other conventional mounting techniques will work equally well without departing from the invention.

Mounting feet 160 are attached to the bottom of base support 120 to provide overall stability and positioning of the fall arrest support apparatus. Angle supports 180 may be used to provide additional strength between base feet 160 and base support 120, but other configurations are possible. Mounting bolt 130 is attached to base support 120 parallel to base feet 160, but on the opposite side of base support 120. Mounting bolt 130 may be a threaded mounting bolt affixed to mounting base 120 at a height approximately in line with the opening in lifting eye 150. Mounting bolt 130 may be welded to base support 120 or may be affixed using other conventional means. Alternatively, base support 120 may contain a channel 125, for mounting bolt 130. Channel 125 allows for a wide range of height adjustments for mounting bolt 130, thereby ensuring that mounting bolt 130 aligns itself with the center of lifting eye 150. Mounting bolt 130 passes through the lifting eye 150. Bolt spacer 140 is conical shaped and fits over mounting bolt 130 and inside lifting eye 150. While a conical shaped bolt spacer allows for variations in lifting eyes and bolt centering, bolt spacers of other geometries, such as cylindrical, flat, or round may be utilized.

Once bolt spacer 140 is passed over mounting bolt 130, securing nut 145 may be threaded on mounting bolt 130. By tightening bolt spacer 140 using securing nut 145, lifting eye 150 is tightened securely against base support 120, thereby fastening the fall arrest support apparatus securely in place without violating the integrity of the underlying equipment. Alternatively, bolt spacer 140 itself may be threaded and used in lieu of securing nut 145. Furthermore, bolt spacer 140 may be a collet assembly with a tap or securing screw to tighten directly against mounting bolt 130.

From the embodiments of the invention described above, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to those disclosed embodiments. Various changes and modifications thereof could be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securing a fall arrest anchor post comprising:

a base for receiving a fall arrest anchor post;

a base cross member attached to the base; and

a plurality of base foot members attached to the base cross member

and releasably securable to a plurality of surface structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of base foot members have a shape for receiving said surface structures.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of base foot members further comprise a clamp for releasably securing the apparatus to the plurality of surface structures.

4. An apparatus for securing a fall arrest anchor post comprising:

a fall arrest anchor post mounting plate attached to a receiver, said receiver releasably securable attachable to a lifting eye of a structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the receiver further comprising a stabilizing foot and a lifting bolt positioned to pass through a lifting eye.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a lifting eye spacer in contact with the lifting bolt to secure the receiver to the lifting eye.

7. An apparatus for releasably securing a safety harness attachment post to a structure possessing channel-shaped structures comprising:

a base cross member;

a base for receiving a fall arrest anchor post attached to the base cross member; and

a plurality of channel shaped base foot members attached to the base cross member, and wherein the plurality of base foot members contain a clamp for releasably secureably attaching the apparatus to a surface containing a plurality of structures.

8. A method for releasably securing a safety harness attachment post to electrical equipment comprising:

identifying a portion of the electrical equipment not originally designed as a securing point;

locating a safety harness attachment post in a position relative to the electrical equipment; and

releasably securing the safety harness attachment post to the identified portion of the electrical equipment not originally designed as a securing point

9. The method of claim 8 where the identified portion of electrical equipment is a rain guard.

10. The method of claim 8 where the identified portion of electrical equipment is a lifting eye.