The minimum breaking strength required of safety belt lanyards is which of the following?

• A. 3,000 pounds
• B. 4,000 pounds
• C. 5,400 pounds
• D. 6,000 pounds

Answer: (C)

When selecting fall-protection gear, the force a system must withstand during a fall is enormous and occurs very suddenly. The minimum breaking strength of safety belt lanyards is set high to ensure the lanyard and its hardware won’t fail under that dynamic, arrest-load. A rating of 5,400 pounds provides a sufficient safety margin to absorb the energy of a fall and decelerate the body without the lanyard snapping or deforming catastrophically. Lower ratings would not meet the protection standards for fall arrest, while higher ratings are not required to satisfy the rule. So the required minimum breaking strength is 5,400 pounds.