A white paper has concluded utility organisations in the US may be operating out of compliance with current fall protection requirements.
FallTech says electric utility work conditions may be affected by Class 1 and 2 SRL distinctions.
Falls and Electrical Hazards
The white paper, called Stopping the Fall Isn’t Enough, says updates to the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) self-retracting lifeline (SRL) performance standards now distinguish more clearly between Class 1 and Class 2 devices, reshaping how fall protection must be selected and used in real utility work environments especially where fall and electrical hazards overlap.
Recent changes to ANSI SRL criteria clarified that Class 1 SRLs are intended for anchorage at or above the worker’s dorsal D-ring, while Class 2 SRLs support below-D-ring tie-off and leading-edge exposure.
In practice, this means equipment long relied upon in substations, power plants, and utility field work may no longer be appropriate for common job conditions.
While some devices may still stop a fall, they may not control arrest forces in a way that protects the worker or withstands review after an incident.
Multiple Hazards
FallTech says utility work often combines multiple hazards at once with crews climbing structures, transitioning between tie-off points, and work from bucket trucks or lifts where anchors are commonly at waist height or lower.
These are normal job conditions, not misuse. Yet many commonly used fall protection devices were never designed or tested for these scenarios under today’s standards.
The white paper explains why these gaps are widespread, why they are hard to detect before an incident, and how arc flash exposure can further compromise fall protection systems. It also outlines why compliance questions often surface only after an audit, investigation, or injury—when equipment choices are judged against current standards, not past practice.
White Paper
Zack Winters, Director of Product & Applied Engineering at FallTech, said: “We’ve identified a gap between recent SRL standard updates and how fall protection is being used in real-world utility work.
“In some cases, equipment that was once considered acceptable may no longer meet current performance expectations.
“We’re committed to advancing fall protection education across the industry.
“This white paper helps close the knowledge gap by clarifying what’s changed, how it affects utility work, and what safety leaders should review moving forward.”
