Swing Arms and Jib Arms Offer Cost-Effective Fall Arrest Protection

Swing arms, or jib arms as they are also called, provide customizable and cost effective fall arrest protection for work areas that are circular or semicircular. These systems contain two distinct parts: a steel-reinforced mast, and a cantilevered arm. A trolley that runs along the arm allows for the point of connection to remain directly above the worker, and provides coverage anywhere within the circular area. This eliminates the possibility of swing falls that can occur with a single point anchor when the worker is anywhere other than directly underneath the anchor point.

Swing Arms Offer Flexibility With Manual or Motorized Control

Swing arms are commonly used in manufacturing and food processing plants where workers need to be protected while performing either daily production activities (such as a welder or working on large pieces of equipment) or maintenance activities (such as tank cleaning in a food or pharmaceutical plant). They can be mounted on a freestanding column or dropped from a mast to provide 360° coverage, but most often they are attached to an existing building column and provide 180° coverage. When not in use they can be moved out of the way of overhead cranes or other obstructions.

The length of the arm span can be up to 30 feet, and movement can be controlled either manually or via motor in larger systems. If greater coverage is needed, a fixed track can be mounted to two or more jib arms to form a foldaway horizontal lifeline. The track used can accommodate either one or two workers; in a two-worker configuration workers can bypass one another and maintain independent movement.

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Call us today to discuss how your workplace can benefit from a FallProof installation. We offer a no-cost on-site assessment, wherein one of our experts will do a walk-through with you to determine what is best for your needs. If you would like to send us drawings to help us with our preliminary evaluation, you may use our online contact form. Your inquiry will be treated with the utmost confidence. Below are examples of applications of this type of equipment.

Swing and jib arms come in a variety of sizes, attachment points and configurations. This particular photo shows a dual, fixed-track fall protection system. It allows for two users to be protected while working on an elevated surface and working simultaneously.

Shown in the above picture, this jib arm fall protection system was installed by FallProof at an industrial manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. In this particular application, the system allowed workers to stack poles for shipment in pyramid pattern, and then climb on top of the newly formed stack in order to band and secure the load properly for placement on a flatbed truck.

Pictured above is another swing and jib arm installation for the same Pennsylvania manufacturing client. This was the second part of the fall protection system installed for product shipment. This particular configuration is motorized and remote controlled, swinging out 90 degrees to provide fall protection over a flatbed truck loading station, allowing workers to secure the shipment load while being protected.

Swing and jib arms are perfect for fall protection on elevated work surfaces that are semi-circular or circular in nature, such as in the above picture. The hinged attachment bracket allows the mast of the system to move back and forth in an arch-like pattern, following the worker around the 180-degree plane. This, along with a movable trolley, allows the anchorage point to be directly overhead of the worker at all times, thus eliminating swing fall hazards.

Swing arms also can be used as means to hang a fixed track as pictured above. FallProof installed this motorized foldaway system for a longtime client. In this particular setup, the swing arm mast provided an attachment point that allows the system to pivot and fold back onto itself, storing it out of the way when not in use. A fixed track was installed between two swing arms, allowing the system to cover the length necessary to protect works. In this particular application, it was built to allow workers to weld on top of very large diameter steel poles while being tied off and protected.