How far can a human being freefall vertically as in stepping off of a ledge or platform and be able to reasonably stop his descent with only his hands and arms by grabbing a horizontal bar or such?

Answer 1

This is a very good question and as such requires a very good answer. If the person is 5 foot 6 inches tall and they fall over they will be able to break their fall if they grab something as long as they catch something within 2.34 feet of their initial leaning into the fall. If they've been drinking then it may be a shorter amount of distance. If they're falling asleep then maybe even shorter still. It's important to not drink and fall asleep while standing as you never know when you might fall and need to grab something handy. If you can only grab something smaller such as children or grandparents then it may be an even bigger problem. If you're in a wedding and a wedding cake is nearby be sure not to be near as too many accidents have been documented when people fall near them. They either should pass laws about placing Wedding cakes too close to grooms or pass laws on allowing camera's at weddings which document these cases. If curtains are available to grab then the fall incline has been known to be able to be extended up to 2.76 feet. Small children have been shown to be unreliable in some of these circumstances due to their continued interest in the common activity often called playing.