Fall arrest apparatus

1. A fall arrest apparatus comprising:

a rod adapted at a first end region thereof to be attached to a structure; and

an energy absorber attached to a second end region of the rod, the energy absorber including a connection portion comprising a connection for attachment to the second end region of the rod, an attachment portion comprising an attachment point adjacent a distal end of the apparatus for attachment of at least one additional fall arrest apparatus, and an energy absorbing portion extending in a generally longitudinal direction from the connection portion and the attachment portion and configured to absorb energy when subject to a force in excess of a threshold, the connection portion and the attachment portion extend in a lateral distal direction relative to the energy absorbing portion and are deformed out of a plane of a remainder of the energy absorber, and the attachment portion is deformed so as to extend substantially parallel to the connection portion in a same lateral direction from the remainder of the energy absorber to provide an offset distance in the longitudinal direction between the attachment portion and the connection portion.

2. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorber is secured to the second end region of the rod by way of a rotational assembly which allows the energy absorber to rotate about the axis of the rod.

3. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the rotational assembly comprises a first nut threaded onto the second end region of the rod, a first washer adjacent to the first nut, a spacer adjacent to the first washer, a second washer adjacent to the spacer and a second nut adjacent to the second washer, the energy absorber being provided with an opening through which the spacer passes.

4. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rod is provided as a single length and is provided with a weatherproof covering that stops short of the second end of the rod and is sealed to the rod in the second end region thereof.

5. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rod includes an indicator to indicate a depth to which the rod is to be inserted into the structure.

6. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a washer is provided to be positioned in use between the indicator and the structure, the indicator comprises a datum sleeve, and the datum sleeve is compressed onto the rod.

7. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attachment point is configured and arranged for at least one of attaching a karabiner to the energy absorber and allowing a cable to pass through the attachment point.

8. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorber is made from a single plate of metal which is formed with the attachment point at one end region thereof, and a slit which defines the periphery of a connection to the rod, ends of the slit leading to the energy absorbing portion.

9. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing portion is a rip zone including two lines of weakness which, when subject to the force in excess of the threshold, tear longitudinally to absorb energy.

10. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the two lines of weakness are parallel, the two lines each terminate in a relatively larger discontinuity than a transverse dimension of the line of weakness, the lines of weakness are each in the form of a row of discontinuities, and the discontinuities are selected from holes, recesses and slits extending in the direction of the respective row.

11. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the relatively larger discontinuity comprises a terminal hole.

12. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the discontinuities of the first row are offset in the longitudinal direction of the row relative to the discontinuities of the second row.

13. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the two rows of discontinuities comprise two grooves.

14. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing portion has a curvature in the longitudinal direction thereof, the curvature extends the length of the energy absorbing portion.

15. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing portion is in the form of a coil.

16. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing portion is substantially coplanar with the connection to the rod.

17. A fall arrest apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing portion is substantially perpendicular to the connection of the energy absorber.