North Carolina Building Contractor License Practice Exam

What is the maximum allowable fall distance for safety belts?

1. 4ft

2. 6ft

3. 10ft

4. 8ft

The correct answer is: 8ft

The correct maximum allowable fall distance for safety belts is eight feet. This distance is established to enhance safety and reduce the potential for injury in the event of a fall. The design and regulations surrounding safety belts, often used in construction and industrial settings, aim to ensure that workers are protected from falls that can occur from elevated surfaces. When a fall occurs, safety belts are designed to arrest the fall with a certain amount of slack, which is the distance between the point of attachment of the safety belt and the worker. Setting a maximum allowable fall distance helps in ensuring that the system is effective while also accounting for factors like stretch of the equipment and the deceleration distance. Prior to this regulation, distances such as four, six, or ten feet were less ideal, as they either did not provide adequate space for safely stopping a fall or were unnecessarily excessive. Therefore, the eight-foot limit is a balance designed to maximize both safety and practicality on construction sites.