A vertical lifeline must have a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of?

A vertical lifeline must have a minimum breaking strength of 5000 lbs to ensure the safety of personnel working at heights. This standard is aligned with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and industry best practices, which dictate that any lifeline used in fall protection systems must be capable of withstanding the forces exerted during a fall.

The 5000 lbs requirement provides a significant safety margin to accommodate not just the weight of the worker, but also dynamic forces that can occur during a fall. Considering additional factors such as the potential for multiple points of attachment and variations in weight distribution, a higher breaking strength helps prevent catastrophic failures. Therefore, using a lifeline with a minimum breaking strength of 5000 lbs is critical for ensuring reliable fall protection in telecommunications tower work environments.