Warning Line : 8 Benefits of a Permanent Warning Line When Working at Height

In addition to setting up an anti-fall system, it is important to visually indicate the areas in which workers at height can perform their tasks without putting themselves in danger. Placed at least 2 meters from any place where the worker could fall, a permanent warning line lets you precisely delimit a safe working area.

So what are its other advantages?

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PERMANENT WARNING LINE?

A permanent warning line is used to delineate a protective visual perimeter between zones at height. Its presence is mandatory at certain sites in order to comply with the provisions of the Safety Code for the construction industry. A warning line must meet the following requirements:

• Be continuous and installed on all sides of the work area that it delimits
• Placed at a minimum distance of 2 meters from any place where a worker could fall
• Take the form of a rigid strip, chain or cable able to withstand a minimum tractive force of 2.22 kN
• Supported by stanchions placed at least 2.5 meters from one another and properly attached to each one
• Able to withstand a load of 100 N applied horizontally at the highest point and vertically at the midpoint between two stanchions
• Completed at each hoisting or storage area and access by a path created by two parallel lines.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A PERMANENT WARNING LINE?

A warning line allows a worker to immediately ascertain with a glance the working area he must stay within. In addition, it has the following pros:

1. Installation is easy and quick, especially models with carabiners
2. A line that comes with a wire cable coated in colored nylon as well as PVC safety flags are very durable and have high visibility
3. Models with aluminum stanchions are highly resistant to corrosion and guaranteed for 10 years
4. A self-supporting warning line can be installed without perforating the roof
5. A warning line is very useful in winter when the edge of the roof is hard to see
6. It is very economical
7. Modular systems can be combined with guardrails
8. Some models are versatile and can even be converted into guardrails.

Undeniably useful, a permanent warning line is a tool that lets workers at height visually delimit the work area they must stay in for safety. However, it will never replace a fall prevention system. Only guardrails are an effective means of preventing accidental falls, and for the safety of workers, they must be installed whenever the configuration of the site allows it.