How many people can tie off to a vertical line?

• A. One
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. Four

Answer: (B)

Vertical lifelines are fixed lines installed along a vertical surface to keep a worker attached while moving. The line has a rated capacity for the number of people who can be attached at once. In typical setups, a vertical lifeline can support two workers at the same time, each with their own harness and lanyard attached at separate points along the line. This keeps loads within what the line and anchors are designed to handle and helps prevent collisions or overloads. Exceeding that, with more than two people tied off simultaneously, risks overloading the system and creating a fall hazard. So two is the safe, intended maximum for a single vertical lifeline.