24/09/2025
# Bypassing the Energy Absorber: A Dangerous Practice Putting Workers at Risk
*A dangerous practice is spreading across construction sites: bypassing the energy absorber to "gain" length when clearance is limited. A technical analysis of the risks and correct solutions.*
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# # The Problem: A Practice That's Too Common
Increasingly on construction sites, we witness a practice that makes any safety expert shudder: **workers bypassing the energy absorber of their fall arrest system**, connecting the karabiner directly to the lanyard to reduce the total length of the system.
The justification is always the same: *"There's not enough clearance, if they fall they won't hit the ground"*.
**But this logic is profoundly wrong and potentially lethal.**
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# # Fall Factor: The Concept That Saves Lives
Before analyzing the risks, it's essential to understand the **fall factor**, a parameter that many HSE professionals don't seem to fully master.
# # # What is Fall Factor?
Fall factor is the ratio between:
- **Free fall height** (distance traveled by the worker before the system begins to arrest the fall)
- **Length of arrest system** (lanyard + energy absorber)
**Formula**: `Fall Factor = Fall Height / System Length`
# # # The Numbers That Matter
- **Factor 0**: Fall below the anchor point (minimum risk)
- **Factor 1**: Fall from anchor point height (moderate risk with absorber)
- **Factor 2**: Fall from height double the system length (maximum risk)
**Practical example**: A worker connected with a 1-meter lanyard falls 2 meters above the anchor point → Fall factor = 2
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# # The Risk of Bypassing: Numbers That Kill
When bypassing the energy absorber, you eliminate the most important element of the fall arrest system: **the ability to absorb fall energy**.
# # # What Happens Without an Absorber?
**With fall factor 1 ("best" scenario without absorber):**
- Arrest force: **over 15 kN**
- Human body tolerance limit: **6 kN**
- **Result**: Serious injuries or death from arrest trauma
**With fall factor 2:**
- Arrest force: **over 25 kN**
- **Result**: Death virtually certain
# # # The False Security of "Won't Hit the Ground"
Many think that if the worker "won't hit the ground," the fall is safe. **This is completely wrong**.
The problem isn't ground impact, but **the arrest force acting on the body** when the system becomes taut. Without an absorber, this force can be lethal even in a fall of just a few meters.
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# # Regulations: What the Law Says
# # # Clear Regulatory Requirements
**EN 355** - Energy Absorbers:
- The absorber is **mandatory** in fall arrest systems
- Must limit maximum force to **6 kN**
- Cannot be modified or bypassed
**International Standards**:
- PPE must be used **according to manufacturer's instructions**
- Any modification to devices is prohibited
- Employers must provide PPE suitable for the risks
# # # Criminal Liability
Bypassing the energy absorber constitutes:
- **Removal of safety devices**
- **Negligent injury** in case of accident
- **Manslaughter** in case of death
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# # The Solution: Correct Anchor Point Design
The problem of insufficient clearance **is not solved by compromising safety**, but through **correct design of the anchoring system**.
# # # Design Principles
**1. Calculation of Required Clearance**
```
Minimum clearance = Lanyard length + Absorber deployment + Worker height + Safety margin (1m)
```
**2. Strategic Anchor Positioning**
- **Above worker's head** when possible
- **Lateral** only if fall factor remains ≤ 1
- **Never below work level** without adequate precautions
**3. Alternative Technical Solutions**
- **Temporary lifelines** positioned high
- **Retractable systems** with less bulk
- **Work platforms** that reduce fall height
- **Safety nets** as collective protection
# # # Practical Correction Example
**Problematic situation:**
- Work at 5m from ground
- Anchor at 4m (1m below worker)
- 2m lanyard + 1.75m absorber
- Available clearance: 1m (insufficient)
**Wrong solution**: Bypass absorber
**Correct solution**: Install anchor at 8-9m height
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# # The HSE Role: Competence and Responsibility
# # # Necessary Training
Too many HSE professionals show critical gaps in understanding:
- **Physics of falling** and fall factor
- **How energy absorbers work**
- **Clearance calculation**
- **Reference standards**
# # # Professional Responsibilities
HSE professionals who accept or order absorber bypassing:
- **Compromise worker safety**
- **Violate current regulations**
- **Assume criminal liability** in case of accidents
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# # Case Studies: When Theory Becomes Reality
# # # Case 1: The "Safe" Scaffold
*Worker on 3m scaffold, anchor at 2.5m, lanyard bypassed for "safety". Fall with factor 1.5: severe chest trauma, fractured ribs, pneumothorax.*
# # # Case 2: Industrial Roofing
*Roof maintenance, lateral anchor, absorber removed. Fall factor 2: death from cardiac arrest due to trauma.*
**In both cases, correct anchor positioning would have prevented the tragedy.**
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# # Operational Recommendations
# # # For Employers
1. **Invest in designing** adequate anchoring systems
2. **Properly train** HSE staff and workers
3. **Categorically prohibit** PPE modifications
4. **Regularly verify** procedure implementation
# # # For HSE Professionals
1. **Update competencies** on fall physics
2. **Always calculate** required clearance
3. **Design anchors** during planning phase
4. **Immediately report** non-compliant situations
# # # For Workers
1. **Never modify** safety devices
2. **Report** insufficient clearance situations
3. **Demand** adequate technical solutions
4. **Refuse** orders that compromise safety
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# # Conclusions: Safety Admits No Compromises
Bypassing the fall energy absorber represents one of the most dangerous practices that can be encountered on construction sites. **There are no technical, economic, or practical justifications** for this choice.
The solution exists and is known: **correctly design anchoring systems** from the planning phase. This requires technical competence, initial investment, and a safety culture that accepts no compromises.
**An energy absorber costs a few dozen euros. A life is priceless.**
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# # # Call to Action
If you are a safety professional, employer, or worker:
- **Share** this article on construction sites
- **Train yourself** on correct anchoring techniques
- **Report** dangerous practices
- **Invest** in adequate technical solutions
**Workplace safety is everyone's responsibility. Don't let absorber bypassing become "normal".**
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*Article by Oliver De Iaco, HSE Specialist and Industrial Rescue Expert with over 15 years of international experience in work-at-height safety.*
