When thinking about a fall arrest system, we tend to put the focus on the anchors and the actual harness itself. They are obviously very important, but there is a little piece of the system that is oftentimes overlooked: the lanyard.

In order to ensure proper fall protection, each component has to be right. Choosing a fall arrest lanyard is more involved than it might seem. If you are in the market for a new fall arrest lanyard, here are a few things worth taking into consideration.

Fall Force

Among the most important factors when choosing fall arrest lanyards is the specified fall force. Being educated on these components ultimately leads to improved safety. Knowing fall force before making your choice can mean the difference between life and death depending on the job.

Each fall arrest lanyard is rated to support a certain amount of force. For instance, a worker that is about 200 pounds will be subject to as much as 8,000 pounds of force from a fall of 10 feet on abrupt force. There are other factors (including the next one) that play a role in fall force, so be aware of them before comparing fall force parameters.

Length

Choosing fall arrest lanyards isn’t just done on a whim. A critical aspect of getting the right lanyard is ensuring that you have the proper length. In order to limit free falls, it is advised that no more than six feet in length be available when using a fall arrest lanyard. The more room there is to fall, the greater the potential force and impact.

Though there are different fall arrest lanyards featuring different lengths, the idea is to keep things shorter. Some systems are not meant to prevent falls, but rather prevent impact. It may be a better idea to look into a lanyard that helps to prevent falls altogether rather than simply softening the blow.

Compatibility

Though it might go without saying, you can’t necessarily just plug and play every lanyard and connector. Connectors, like snap hooks, scaffold hooks, web loops, or carabiners, should be appropriate at the connection point. Having a less than secure connection point compromises the safety of the worker in the event of a fall.

Many components aren’t interchangeable even if they come from the same manufacturer. It is crucial to evaluate the compatibility of each component to ensure a proper, secure fit. Proper manufacturers even put out technical bulletins to educate the use of each component. Connectors need to remain solid and in place, especially against the excess force exerted in the event of a fall.

Connector Specifications

OSHA is the regulatory firm that issues safety standards and regulations that businesses must follow. OSHA requires that all carabiners and snaphooks be self-closing and self-locking, for instance. Opening and releasing snap hooks need to have two deliberate actions so that it doesn’t open randomly or by accident.

Take the time to inspect all fall safety equipment, not just harnesses and lanyards. Look for signs of wear and tear, replacing components if there is any noticeable damage. Even seemingly miniscule wear and tear can result in a catastrophic failure. It is a risk that is not worth taking.

Fall safety equipment may not be the most complicated to use, but it requires attention to detail in order to ensure that it serves its purpose. Having as much information going into the situation as possible will ensure that every component works the way it was meant to, and that each worker wearing it will remain as safe as possible.

THE Scarlets have said this week that they are delighted to announce that Gower MP and former Wales international Tonia Antoniazzi will join the Scarlets Board of Directors with immediate effect.

Tonia, who is Gower’s first female MP, has served at Westminster since June 2017. She was born and raised along with two brothers in Llanelli by her Welsh Mum and Welsh-Italian father who supported her love of sport from an early age.

With Welsh-Italian sporting heritage, she won nine caps for Wales as a prop playing internationally for three years as well as playing for Benetton Treviso’s women’s team in 1993-94 while studying in Venice. Her last cap as tighthead prop came in 1999. She participated in the first Women’s World Cup in 1998. From a rugby family, her brother Julian Antoniazzi played for Welsh Schools seven times in 1985.

Tonia is a passionate, lifelong Scarlets supporter after spending many years growing up supporting rugby on the terraces at Stradey Park. Alongside her international rugby career, Tonia is a graduate in French and Italian from Exeter University with a PGCE from Cardiff University, teaching in Wigan before returning home to West Wales as Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Ysgol Bryngwyn in Llanelli.

Since retiring from international rugby and forging a successful political career, she is now a leading light and voice championing the growth and development of women’s and girls’ rugby across Wales, campaigning for greater equality, engagement, participation and inclusion at all levels in the game.

Scarlets are building for the future which includes a fresh focus on the girls’ and women’s game, with four players in the U18s Women’s Six Nations squad, a number of girls from the region selected for the West Wales Professional Development Centre (PDC) plus 70 girls are registered with the Scarlets’ first U17s Development Squad.

Scarlets’ Academy coaches support training and development of Celtic Challenge Cup side Brython Thunder who are based at Parc y Scarlets. Two of the region’s age-grade teams Teifi Timberwolves and Taf Valley Tigers were U16s and U18s WRU National plate winners this season. Increased demand from girls to play rugby is now being supported with 32 WRU clusters supporting players from U7s to U18s across communities in Wales.

Scarlets’ Community Foundation rugby programme also continues to go from strength-to-strength delivering wide-ranging rugby inclusion events to support social benefit across its region and engaging with more than 20,000 young people this season.

Tonia Antoniazzi MP said: “It truly is an honour and privilege for me and I am very excited to be joining the Scarlets Board. Scarlets rugby has been at the heart of my family and my upbringing and it was that love and passion for this club that led me to play for Wales. Now I am continuing to support the sport that means so much to me off the pitch.

“Rugby is ours. It’s everybody’s sport and everybody matters in our game.”

“We need a plurality of voices in Welsh rugby to take the game forward. There is a new era of rugby dawning in Wales and Scarlets rugby has a bright future within it, I want to be part of that and ensure everyone connected with our game has a voice and is well-represented.”

“I am passionate about bringing more women into the game. I feel very strongly that when I was a young girl, I had to look up to my brother – and think if he can do it I can do it. Now we can see a future in the sport for young girls to aspire to – with the likes of Alex Callender (from Llanelli), who I used to teach, coming through and winning multiple caps.

“What we need now is to engage more through the women’s and girls’ programmes into clubs to ensure we have more teams and more international players playing their rugby in Wales. When you can see it as a player, you believe you can be it. We need to show our young girls that there is a future for them in rugby in Wales.”

Scarlets Executive Chairman Simon Muderack said: “Tonia will bring valued rugby expertise, a strong voice for the women’s game and great governance leadership from her experience and knowledge across international rugby, the educational sector and her parliamentary career.

“Her energy, ambition and passion for Scarlets rugby and the women’s and girl’s game in this region is undeniable. She is a positive driving force who wants to see Scarlets and Welsh rugby thrive now and in the future and is helping spearhead a culture change throughout our game. We are delighted she is joining us at a time when we are restructuring and strengthening our business operations to meet the challenges of the future and we look forward to Tonia’s input and support.”

Tonia lives in Pontarddulais and has a son Jac who is currently studying at Cardiff University.

SEAFISH, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry to thrive, has started formal consultation with its levy payers and the wider seafood industry on proposals for a new levy model.  

Levy is due on the first sale of seafood, both domestically landed and imported, in the UK. It is not charged on farmed salmon, trout, and freshwater fish species because these species are excluded by primary legislation. Nor is it currently charged on canned, bottled and pouched seafood products.  

The levy collected is used by Seafish to provide support, advice and services across the whole UK seafood supply chain.  

During the Seafish Strategic Review in 2021, the seafood industry recognised the need for a review of the levy system given it had not changed since 1999. There was general agreement that an improved levy model was needed to ensure Seafish had a stable financial model and could continue to provide the support industry needs, now and into the future.  

The Seafish Board held informal consultations with the seafood industry in spring 2023 on proposed changes to the levy system. In December 2023 the Board released a response to the Informal Consultation which set out how it had considered the feedback received from stakeholders and had revised the package of levy amendments in response.  

The Seafish Board is now holding the statutory consultation on the proposed changes. The consultation will be open for twelve weeks until Friday 9 August.  

Seafish is collecting feedback via an independent online survey and anyone with an interest in the Seafish levy as well as the wider seafood industry are invited to respond. They will also be hosting a series of webinars for stakeholders interested in learning more about the proposed changes. 

Information on the consultation, which consists of the Formal Consultation Paper (available in Welsh and English), the draft Regulation, and an Economic Impact Assessment can be downloaded from the Seafish website here.  

The proposed changes to the Seafish levy include: 

• The current sea fish levy rate of 0.903p/kg will be increased to 1p/kg. This will be renamed the “Category 1” levy. 

• The current levy rate that applies to mussels, cockles, and pelagic fish (as defined in regulation) will increase from 0.258p/kg to 0.5p/kg over a three-year period.  
• The current levy rate for whelks will increase from 0.4515p/kg to 0.5p/kg 
• The levy for mussels, cockles, pelagic fish (as defined in regulation) and whelks will be renamed the “Category 2” levy.   
• The levy rates for manufactured fishmeal and ‘fish destined for’ fishmeal will also increase, as follows: 

• Manufactured fishmeal will increase from 0.175p/kg to 0.315p/kg.   
• Fish destined for fishmeal will increase from 0.035p/kg to 0.05p/kg.    

• For the first time levy will apply to canned, bottled, and pouched seafood products, for those species within the scope of the levy. 
• The levy for all seafood and seafood products would be adjusted annually, subject to a cap on the annual adjustment of 2%.  
• Minor changes to the administration of the levy to make collection and payment more efficient. 

Mike Sheldon, Chair of the Seafish Board, said:  “After our informal consultation last year, we have taken industry feedback on board and made further revisions to refine the proposed levy adjustments. It is our priority to make the levy fit for purpose, fairer for all and ensure we can continue to deliver the support industry have told us they need, now and in the future.  

While we appreciate that the seafood industry is under financial pressure, our proposed changes strike a good balance, minimising impacts on the industry while allowing us to effectively support the seafood sector as an organisation. 

This consultation is an important step in shaping a levy that better serves our stakeholders.” 

Once this formal consultation process ends Seafish will make formal recommendations to government, and these will be considered by relevant Ministers across the UK Government and the Devolved administrations. There is not a timeframe for when Ministers will reach a decision yet, but businesses will have as much notice as possible before any changes come into effect so that they can plan ahead.    

Any queries about the consultation should be sent to [email protected]