Fall protection device

Abstract

A fall protection device for a user working on horizontal surfaces in construction sites, which can adopt two end positions: an operating protection position and a non-operating storage position. The device has a mast releasably couplable at the lower end to a fixed element of the construction with the possibility of pivoting on its own vertical shaft; an arm at a first end of an articulated joint articulated with the end of the upper portion of the mast, the second end thereof being free and the arm configured to receive in an area of the second end the coupling of fastening and attachment for the user; a strut with a first end articulately joined to the arm and with a second end to be fastened on a point of the upper portion of the mast under the end of the upper portion where the mast is articulated with the arm.

Claims

1. A fall protection device for coupling a user who performs works on horizontal surfaces in construction sites to a fixed element of the construction, wherein the fall protection device is configured to adopt two end positions, the first being an operating protection position and the second being a non-operating storage position, the fall protection device comprising: a mast configured to be arranged vertically in the operating protection position, having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the mast is releasably couplable to a fixed element of the construction with the possibility of pivoting on its own vertical axis; an arm configured to be arranged horizontally in the operating protection position forming an inverted L with the mast, being provided at a first end with an articulated joint that is articulated with the end of the upper portion of the mast, the second end thereof being a free end and the arm being configured to receive in an area of the second end the coupling of fastening and attachment means for the user; a shock-absorbing strut to cushion the pivotal movement of the arm towards the mast caused by a downward traction force occasionally applied at an area of the end of the arm by the fastening and attachment means for the user, the strut being provided with a first end joined articulately to the arm and a second end intended to be fastened, in the operating protection position, on a point of the upper portion of the mast under the end of the upper portion where the mast is articulated with the arm, wherein the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm is a sliding articulation configured to slide along the arm.

2. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the arm is provided with a limit stop element to limit the sliding of the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm, located between said articulation and the second end of the arm, and wherein the mast comprises releasable joining means for the releasable fastening of the second end of the strut, fixedly arranged on the upper portion of the mast on a point such that in the operating protection position, the second end of the strut is joined to the mast by said releasable joining means and the first end of the strut is in a position corresponding to that of the stop of the articulation with the stop element.

3. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein in the second non-operating storage position, the mast, arm and strut are arranged parallel to each other and with the strut flanked by the mast and the arm, the first end of the arm being articulately joined to the end of the upper portion of the mast, and the first end of the strut also being articulately joined to the arm by the articulation.

4. The fall protection device according to claim 2, wherein the releasable joining means of the mast for the releasable fastening of the second end of the strut project from the rest of the mast in a direction perpendicular to the same sufficiently to abut against the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm when the fall protection device is in the second non-operating storage position, wherein said articulation is arranged between the articulated joint of the first end of the arm with the end of the upper portion of the mast and the releasable joining means with which the articulation abuts.

5. The fall protection device according to claim 4, wherein the releasable joining means of the mast for the releasable fastening of the second end of the strut comprise a pin and a U-shaped bracket or fork around the mast, the bracket or fork being configured by parallel extensions that are separated from each other by a distance for receiving between the same the second end of the strut in the operating protection position and for receiving between the same the first end of the strut in the non-operating storage position, the extensions having respective through holes suitable for the passage therethrough of the pin with the interposition of the second end of the strut between the extensions in the operating position, the second end of the strut being likewise provided with through holes for the passage therethrough of the pin.

6. The fall protection device according to claim 5, wherein the apical ends of the extensions of the U-shaped bracket or fork are separated from each other by a distance for receiving between the same, in the non-operating storage position, a section of the arm that is provided with a locking through hole for storage and wherein the apical ends of the extensions have secondary through holes suitable for the passage therethrough of a pin with the interposition of said section of the arm between the apical ends of the extensions in the non-operating storage position.

7. The fall protection device according to claim 1, which comprises hoisting hook-up means fixedly arranged on the arm between the articulated joint of the first end of the arm with the end of the upper portion of the mast and the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm.

8. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the strut comprises a female portion and a male portion that extending into an opening formed at the female portion, said female portion and male portion cooperating and sliding with respect to each other at the level of the opening when a compression force is transmitted to the first end of the strut, and wherein the female portion is provided with housings for respective cylindrical or spherical elements that roll or rotate due to friction with the male portion when the female and male portions slide with respect to each other, the dimensions of said elements being such that they interfere with the outer profile of the male portion, pressing and causing the successive plastic deformation of the male portion during its movement relative to the female portion.

9. The fall protection device according to claim 8, wherein the male and female portions respectively have an inner tubular section and an outer tubular section, which are concentric and intended to slide into one another.

10. The fall protection device according to claim 1, which comprises anchoring means that comprise an anchoring element inserted into a mass of concrete or mortar in a fluid state, and remaining solidified to the same after the setting or hardening of said mass, said anchoring means linking the fall protection device to the fixed element of the construction, and wherein the mast is movably coupled by its lower portion to said anchoring element with the possibility of pivoting on its vertical axis, in such a way that the user remains firmly fastened with the possibility of moving freely within an essentially circular field of action, around said vertical axis of the mast.

11. The fall protection device according to claim 10, wherein the anchoring element is a sleeve which receives in its interior the lower end of the mast with the possibility of pivoting on its vertical axis.

12. The fall protection device according to claim 11, wherein the lower end of the lower portion of the mast has a cylinder-shaped apical section followed by an inverted truncated cone section, similarly to the sleeve, which also has a cylinder-shaped apical section followed by an inverted truncated cone section corresponding to the lower end of the mast.

13. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the mast has a cylindrical tubular section with the exception of a portion adjacent to the apical section of the lower end of the mast, the section of which is an inverted truncated cone.

14. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the arm and the strut are formed by profiles with rectangular or square tubular cross sections.

15. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the mast, arm and strut are formed by tubular profiles made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

16. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm forms part of a sliding carriage configured as a tubular case with open ends and movable along the arm and arranged around a section of said arm.

17. The fall protection device according to claim 1, wherein the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm is configured as a groove made along at least one section of the arm and a pin that may slide along said groove, said pin being coupled to the first end of the strut.

18. A fall protection device for coupling a user who performs works on horizontal surfaces in construction sites to a fixed element of the construction, wherein the fall protection device is configured to adopt two end positions, a first being an operating protection position and a second being a non-operating storage position, the fall protection device comprising: a mast configured to be arranged vertically in the operating protection position, having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion of the mast is releasably coupled to a fixed element; an arm configured to be arranged horizontally in the operating protection position forming an inverted L with the mast, being provided at a first end with an articulated joint that is articulated with the end of the upper portion of the mast, the second end thereof being a free end and the arm configured to receive in an area of the second end the coupling of fastening and attachment means for the user; a shock-absorbing strut to cushion pivotal movement of the arm towards the mast caused by a downward traction force applied at an area of the end of the arm by the fastening and attachment means for the user, the strut provided with a first end joined articulately to the arm and a second end configured to be fastened, in the operating protection position, on a point of the upper portion of the mast under the end of the upper portion where the mast is articulated with the arm, wherein the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm is a sliding articulation configured to slide along the arm; wherein the arm is provided with a limit stop element to limit the sliding of the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm, located between said articulation and the second end of the arm, and wherein the mast comprises releasable joining means for the releasable fastening of the second end of the strut, fixedly arranged on the upper portion of the mast on a point such that in the operating protection position, the second end of the strut is joined to the mast by said releasable joining means and the first end of the strut is in a position corresponding to that of the stop of the articulation with the stop element; and wherein the releasable joining means of the mast for the releasable fastening of the second end of the strut project from the rest of the mast in a direction perpendicular to the same sufficiently to abut against the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm when the fall protection device is in the second non-operating storage position, wherein said articulation is arranged between the articulated joint of the first end of the arm with the end of the upper portion of the mast and the releasable joining means with which the articulation abuts.

19. The fall protection device according to claim 18, wherein in the second non-operating storage position, the mast, arm and strut are arranged parallel to each other and with the strut flanked by the mast and the arm, the first end of the arm being articulately joined to the end of the upper portion of the mast, and the first end of the strut also being articulately joined to the arm by the articulation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) As a complement to the description provided herein, and for the purpose of helping to make the characteristics of the fall protection device of the invention more readily understandable, this specification is accompanied by a set of drawings which, by way of illustration and not limitation, represent the following:

(2) FIG. 1 is an elevation view showing a preferred embodiment of the fall protection device according to the invention, in the operating protection position, in turn showing the user that the device protects and showing the device placed in the fixed element of the construction;

(3) FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the fall protection device shown in FIG. 1 but this time shown in the non-operating storage position and not showing the fastening and attachment means for the user;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sliding carriage configured as a tubular case with open ends of which the articulation of the first end of the strut with the arm of the fall protection device shown in FIG. 1 forms part;

(5) FIG. 4 is an expanded view of part of the fall protection device shown in FIG. 2 wherein a more expanded detailed view of the releasable joining means of the mast for releasably fastening the second end of the strut is shown; and

(6) FIGS. 5 to 8 are partial perspective views of the protection device shown in FIG. 2 to illustrate the various intermediate positions of said device to change from the end non-operating storage position (FIG. 2) to the end operating protection position (FIG. 1), FIG. 8 being the partial view corresponding to said operating position but shown before placing the fastening and attachment means for the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates the fall protection device 100 object of the present invention for coupling a user (shown only in FIG. 1) working on horizontal surfaces 90 in construction sites to a fixed element of the construction. The device is especially intended to prevent fall accidents from high up in construction sites, especially applicable to the case of formwork preparation for horizontal surfaces 90 of slabs, level beams, etc. at the same time providing operators with a relatively large field of action, having great freedom of movement. The fixed element of the construction can be, for example, a column 91 or pillar concreted to the level of the formwork of the slab on which the operator (the user of the fall protection device 100) must work.

(8) This fall protection device 100 is capable of adopting two end positions, the first being an operating protection position, which is shown in FIG. 1, and the second being a non-operating storage position, shown in FIG. 2. As may be seen in the figures, the fall protection device 100 essentially comprises a mast 1, an arm 2 and a strut 3 that shall be discussed in detail below. Advantageously, the mast 1, arm 2 and strut 3 are manufactured with tubular profiles made of an aluminium alloy, which enables the fall protection device 100 to be placed and handled in work sites by an operator without needing the intervention of any crane-type machinery or lifting mechanism. Furthermore, as shall be seen below, a large space in order to change from the non-operating storage position to the operating protection position is not necessary.

(9) The mast 1 is intended to be arranged vertically in the operating protection position (FIG. 1), and therein an upper portion 1a and a lower portion 1b can be identified, the lower portion 1b being releasably couplable to a fixed element of the construction, such as a column 91 with the possibility of pivoting on its vertical axis 10. The fall protection device 100 comprises anchoring means that in turn comprise an anchoring element 9 inserted into a mass of concrete or mortar in a fluid state, and remaining solidified to the same after the setting or hardening of said mass. The anchoring means link the fall protection device 100 to the fixed element of the construction (represented by the column 91). In FIG. 1, the anchoring element 9 is made up of a hollow sleeve which receives in its interior the lower end of the lower portion 1b of the mast 1, and said end having been inserted, the mast 1 is capable of pivoting about its vertical axis 10, enabling the user to remain firmly fastened with the possibility of moving freely within an essentially circular field of action, around said vertical axis 10. The coupling of the mast 1 to the anchoring element 9 (sleeve) is a releasable coupling, which enables the insertion and removal of the lower end of the mast 1.

(10) The hollow sleeve represented in FIG. 1 has an inverted truncated cone shape and is inserted in the upper end of the concrete. The sleeve can have an upper perimeter rim for resting on the mass of concrete.

(11) The mast 1 is essentially configured by a tubular profile with a cylindrical cross section, with the exception of a section of the lower portion 1b that comprises a truncated cone section. In particular, it can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the apical section of the lower portion 1b has a cylindrical configuration, that is, with a diameter somewhat smaller than the cylindrical section of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1. After this apical section, the lower portion 1b has an inverted truncated cone section, followed by a cylindrical section with practically the same diameter as that of the rest of the mast 1. As for the sleeve constituting the anchoring element 9, it is formed by sections which shape corresponds to that of the lower portion 1b intended to be inserted in the cavity thereof (FIG. 1). It must be noted that the inverted truncated cone favours the guiding and insertion of the mast 1 into the sleeve so that it is in a vertical position, prepared to change from the non-operating storage position to the operating protection position.

(12) Other variants of anchoring element, such as for example one that is made up of a solid block that is inserted into the concrete mass in fluid state poured in a formwork for columns, are not ruled out. The block can have an upper rod that projects from the mass of concrete and that is adapted to receive, with the possibility of rotating about the vertical axis 10, a hollow tubular lower portion of the mast 1.

(13) Another component of the fall protection device 100 is the arm 2, made up of a tubular profile with an essentially square or rectangular cross section, that is intended to be arranged horizontally in the operating protection position forming an inverted L with the mast 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8 wherein the mast 1 and the arm 2 are arranged perpendicular to each other. The arm 2 has at a first end an articulated joint 21 that is articulated with the end of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1, while the second end 22 thereof is a free end, and in fact, it is at this free end where the fastening and attachment means 4 for the user, which include a rope, harness or safety belt and carabiner, are coupled. The configuration of the articulated joint 21 enables the mutual rotation of the mast 1 with the arm 2 about the vertical axis 10. It shall be the user, linked by the fastening and attachment means 4 to the second end 22 of the arm, who causes due to their movement, the rotation of the arm 2 and, therefore, the rotation of the mast 1 with respect to the fixed element of the construction and the anchoring element fastened in the same.

(14) The third component, the strut 3, acts as a shock-absorber of the pivoting movement of the arm 2 towards the mast 1 caused by the downward traction force occasionally applied in an area of the end of the arm 2 by the fastening and attachment means 4 for the user. The strut 3 is provided with a first end 31 articulately joined to the arm 2 and with a second end 32 intended to be fastened, in the operating protection position, on a point of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1 under the end of the upper portion 1a where the mast 1 is articulated with the arm 2.

(15) It is noteworthy that the articulation 20 of the first end 31 of the strut 3 with the arm 2 is a sliding articulation, an articulation that can slide along the arm 2. In the drawings provided, and in detail in FIG. 3, the articulation 20 forms part of a sliding carriage 200 configured as a tubular case with open ends and movable along the arm 2 and arranged around a section of said arm 2.

(16) However, there are other ways of configuring the articulation 20 so that it may slide along the arm 2, for example, being formed by a groove made along at least one section of the arm 2 and by a pin that may slide along said groove, said pin being coupled to the first end 31 of the strut 3. This solution has not been shown in the drawings.

(17) The articulation 20 enables the rotation according to an axis perpendicular to the plane on which the mast 1, arm 2 and strut 3 are arranged. Said rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the articulated joint 21 and also parallel to the imaginary line that would link the through holes 15 and the secondary through holes 16 of extensions 14 that shall be described below.

(18) It can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2-8 that the arm 2 is provided with a limit stop element 23 to limit the sliding of the articulation 20 of the first end 31 of the strut 3 with the arm 2. The limit stop element 23 is fixedly joined to the tubular profile that constitutes the arm 2 and is located between said articulation 20 and the second end 22 of the arm 2. The limit stop element 23 has been represented in these figures as a plate welded to the lateral face of the tubular profile with a rectangular or square cross section that constitutes the arm 2. Said plate projects slightly from said face, thus preventing the articulation 20 located in the sliding carriage 200 from continuing to slide. The sliding of the articulation 20 can be seen in the sequence of FIGS. 5 to 7 and FIG. 8 is when the articulation 20 is prevented from moving along the arm 2 towards the second end 22 as it abuts against the limit stop element 23. In fact, the moment in which the articulation 20 abuts, marks the moment in which the second end 32 of the strut can be fixedly coupled on a point of the upper portion 1 of the mast 1, specifically on releasable joining means 13 provided in said upper portion 1a.

(19) It can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 8 how the mast 1 comprises releasable joining means 13, as mentioned above, for the releasable fastening of the second end 32 of the strut 3. The releasable joining means 13 are fixedly arranged on the upper portion 1a of the mast 1 on a point such that in the operating protection position, the second end 32 of the strut 3 is joined to the mast 1 by said releasable joining means 13 and the first end 31 of the strut 3 is in a position corresponding to that of the stop of the articulation 20 with the stop element 23. Thus, the user of the device, upon manipulating the fall protection device 100 so that it adopts the operating protection position, only has to worry about pulling the strut 3 making the upper end 31 thereof slide, as it is articulated by the articulation 20, along the arm 2 until it abuts with the stop element 23 and at this moment the second end 32 of the strut can be brought closer to the releasable joining means 13 in order to fasten it to the mast 1 (as indicated by the bold arrow in FIG. 7 to reach the position of FIG. 8).

(20) In the expanded detailed view of FIG. 4, it can be seen that the releasable joining means 13 project from the rest of the mast 1 in a direction perpendicular to the same sufficiently to abut against the articulation 20 of the first end 31 of the strut 3 with the arm 2 when the fall protection device 100 is in the second non-operating storage position. In the non-operating storage position, the mast 1, arm 2 and strut 3 are arranged parallel to each other and with the strut flanked on one side by the mast 1 and on the other side by the arm 2, the first end of the arm 2 being articulately joined to the end of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1, and the first end 31 of the strut 3 also being articulately joined to the arm 2 by the articulation 20. It can be seen in FIG. 4 how in said non-operating position, the articulation 20 is arranged between the articulated joint 21 of the first end of the arm 2 with the end of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1 and the releasable joining means 13 with which the articulation 20 abuts. This characteristic is very useful in practice because it means that in the non-operating position the articulation 20 does not slide downwards (if the mast 1 is in a vertical or almost vertical position) due to gravity and thus the strut 3 is retained in a position wherein it does not project too much from the length of the arm 2 and wherein the second end 32 thereof does not come close to the lower portion 1b of the mast 1 and, therefore, there is no possibility of it dragging.

(21) The releasable joining means 13 represented (represented in FIGS. 4 and 7) comprise a pin 17 and a U-shaped bracket or fork around the mast 1. This bracket or fork is formed by a bridge joining two extensions 14 (in the form of lugs or tabs) that are parallel and separated from each other by a distance for receiving between the same the second end 32 of the strut 3 in the operating protection position and for also receiving between the same extensions 14 at the first end 31 of the strut 3 in the non-operating storage position.

(22) The extensions are equipped with respective through holes 15 suitable for the passage therethrough of said pin 17 with the interposition of the second end 32 of the strut 3 between the extensions 14 in the operating position. As for the second end 32 of the strut 3, it is likewise provided with through holes for the passage therethrough of the pin 17 so that the strut 3 is coupled to the mast 1 in order to adopt the operating protection position (see FIG. 8).

(23) In addition to the foregoing, the apical ends of the extensions 14 are separated from each other by a distance for also receiving between the same, in the non-operating storage position, a section of the arm 2 that is provided with a locking through hole for storage 24 (represented in FIG. 1 and in the expanded detailed view of FIG. 4). The apical ends of the extensions 14 have secondary through holes 16 suitable for the passage therethrough of a pin 17 with the interposition of said section of the arm 2 between the apical ends of the extensions 14 in the non-operating storage position. In the detailed view of FIG. 4, the locking through hole for storage 24 is superimposed between the two secondary through holes 16. The pin 17 that is used to keep the mast 1, arm 2 and strut 3 in the folded position wherein they are in the non-operating storage position, can be the same pin 17 that will later be used to couple the second end 32 of the strut to the upper portion 1a of the mast 1 in the operating protection position (the pin 17 of FIG. 8). While the non-operating storage position is changed to the operating protection position, the pin 17 can hang from the bracket of the releasable joining means 13 by a chain or string fastened to the bracket to prevent the pin 17 from being lost while it is not passed through any through hole.

(24) Additionally, the fall protection device 100 may comprise hoisting hook-up means 5 fixedly arranged on the arm 2 between the articulated joint 21 of the first end of the arm 2 with the end of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1 and the articulation 20 of the first end 31 of the strut 3 with the arm 2. These hoisting hook-up means 5 can be configured, for example, as a handle fixedly welded or joined to the arm 2, which enables the hoisting of the fall protection device 100 by means of a hook of a crane or similar device, essentially arranged over the centre of gravity of the fall protection device 100, in the event that the fall protection device 100 must be moved, for example if it must be moved from the ground where the work site is located to the formwork of a slab at a level higher than the ground or the devices must be removed when they are no longer needed.

(25) With respect to the strut 3, in the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, it comprises a female portion 3a and a male portion 3b extending into an opening 30 formed at the female portion 3a. The female portion 3a and the male portion 3b have the ability to cooperate and slide with respect to each other at the level of the opening 30 when a compression force is transmitted to the first end 31 of the strut 3. The female portion 3a is provided with housings for respective cylindrical or spherical elements that roll or rotate due to friction with the male portion 3b when the female 3a and male 3b portions slide with respect to each other, the dimensions of said elements being such that they interfere with the outer profile of the male portion, pressing and causing the successive plastic deformation of the male portion 3b during the relative movement thereof with respect to the female portion 3a. The male 3b and female 3a portions respectively have an inner tubular cross section and an outer tubular cross section, which are concentric and intended to slide one inside the other. In fact, this preferred embodiment envisages that the strut 3 of the present invention has the characteristics of the strut described in patent application US 2014/0008511-A1, referenced in said document by the number “4”.

(26) Below a brief description of how a user must mount and use the fall protection device 100 is provided. Firstly, it must be assumed that the device will be stored in a non-operating storage position such as that shown in FIG. 2. Obviously in said non-operating position, the mast 1, arm 2 and strut 3 do not have to be arranged vertically, but they can be piled on the ground and be placed horizontally. They will be arranged parallel to each other and with the strut flanked by the mast 1 and the arm 2, the first end of the arm 2 being articulately joined to the end of the upper portion 1a of the mast 1, and the first end 31 of the strut 3 also being articulately joined to the arm 2 by the articulation 20. The pin 17 shall be inserted passing through the secondary through holes 16 of the extensions 14 and the locking through holes for storage 24 of the arm 2. It is also supposed that the construction site already has the anchoring element fixedly anchored or joined to the fixed element of the construction, that is, that the sleeve will already be inserted in the hardened concrete of the column 91. The fall protection device 100 will have been moved by a crane (hooking it by the hoisting means 5) and taken to the horizontal surface 90 until it rests on the same.

(27) Based on this situation, the user, if he/she is strong enough, no more than what is required of a construction worker, lifts the fall protection device 100 and moves it to the sleeve, inserting the lower portion 1b of the mast 1 into the cavity of the sleeve. The fall protection device 100 would be in the position represented in FIG. 2, with the mast 1 in a vertical position, inserted by the lower end of the anchoring element 9 (sleeve) of FIG. 1. In this position it is recommended that the user places at least part of the fastening and attachment means 4 at the second end 22 of the arm 2, since later on it can be more difficult to hang them from the arm 2 because the latter will be at a greater height, being harder to reach by the user. The fastening and attachment means 4 have not been represented in FIGS. 5 to 8 but they would be placed at the second end 22 or close to the same in a preset location on the arm 2.

(28) Immediately thereafter, the user removes the pin 17 from the secondary through holes 16 and leaves it hanging, meaning that the arm 2 is no longer linked to the releasable joining means 13 and can rotate about the articulated joint 21 (rotation axis parallel to the imaginary line that would join the secondary through holes 16) in the direction shown by the bold arrow of FIG. 5. This rotation takes place when the user simply holds the second end 32 of the strut and moves it, separating it from the mast 1, which would describe an imaginary circular trajectory with the centre being the articulated joint 21. In this situation, having removed the pin 17, and slightly rotated the strut 3, the articulation 20 of the first end 31 of the strut 3 with the arm 2 is no longer prevented by the stop that the extensions 14 provided from sliding towards the second end 22 of the arm, and due to gravity, tends to slide downwards, towards said second end 22. This sliding has also been shown in FIG. 5 by a straight bold arrow parallel to the arm 2.

(29) The operator continues to pull the second end 32 of the strut 3 so that the articulation 20 continues to slide towards the stop element 23 (see straight bold arrows in FIG. 6). A moment will come in which the articulation will abut against the stop element 23 and the user will know that it is time to rotate the strut 3 in a clockwise direction, with the centre of rotation at the articulation 20 (curved bold arrow of FIG. 6) and continuing to abut, the arm 2 will incline until it moves closer to a horizontal position, perpendicular to the mast 1, as shown in FIG. 7. In order to finally adopt the operating protection position, the user moves the second end 32 of the strut 3, which is provided with a through hole, until it is placed between the extensions 14 of the releasable joining means 13 and inserts the pin 17, passing through said second through hole of the second end 32 and the through holes 15 of the extensions 14.

(30) In this way, it shows that the user can place the fall protection device 100 in the operating position themselves without needing external help, by only moving the strut 3, thus achieving that the arm 2 is located in a horizontal position at a height beyond the reach of a user standing on the horizontal work surface 90. Once the work has been carried out, the user would then carry out the inverse steps to change the fall protection device 100 from the operating protection position to the non-operating storage position (inactive position).