SCENARIO 2 (continued)

Yes, he will be safe.

Free fall distance is 6 feet. (Oregon OSHA requires free falls to be 6 feet or less).
He did not hit the ground. (However, he had only 6 inches to spare. Consider increasing the connection height to provide a greater safety factor.)

Here is how to calculate total fall distance and free fall distance.

Lanyard length:	6.0 ft.
Shock absorber deceleration distance:	3.5 ft.
Height to back D-ring:	+ 5.0 ft.
Necessary clearance:	14.5 ft.
Connection height:	– 5.0 ft.
Total Fall distance:	9.5 ft.
Shock absorber deceleration distance:	– 3.5 ft.
Free fall distance:	6.0 ft.