Selecting a Full-body Fall Protection Harness
(Taken from Protection Update, September/October 2001)
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Douglas Mercier
International
Safety Equipment Association
What makes one worker wear the proper fall-protection equipment, and use
it in the correct manner while another may not? On one hand, workers must
receive the proper
training on adjusting, inspecting and maintaining the equipment. On the
other hand, no matter how thorough the training, a worker might leave
the equipment behind if it isn't comfortable.
"Our workers like a comfortable harness," said a director of construction
safety operations at a company in North America. "They'll wear a harness
if it's comfortable." Most safety directors also agree that any fall-protection
equipment that is difficult to don and hard to adjust has less chance
of being used. Before purchasing any fall protection equipment, buyers
should note that harnesses are not all the same. Everything from harness
construction to strap placement can be compared and contrasted. All of
these elements do make a difference in the comfort and safety the harness
offers the user. Harness buyers and users should also remember that harnesses
do not last forever, and must be inspected for signs of wear and replaced
when necessary.
Harnessing Size
Many manufacturers rely on universal sizing — which means a harness should
fit the average person. However, universal sizing is designed to fit most
— not all — workers.Some harnesses have a minimum adjustment on the chest
strap that is unusable by shorter workers. The ability to adjust a harness
correctly is important, but some manufacturers' adjustable straps are
complicated. Employees may have trouble adjusting the leg straps or they
may have the D-ring adjusted improperly.
Because some harnesses may cut and pinch when tightened, workers sometimes
wear their harnesses too loose in trying to achieve a comfortable fit.
One solution is a full-body harness with stretchable webbing that allows
workers to flex and bend. There are even stretchable harnesses designed
especially for women. All of these design features have been developed
to ensure PPE comfort.
How safe is the safety harness?
Most buyers would expect a harness to meet specific safety standards,
but surprisingly, some brands don't. Before purchasing fall-protection
products, ask these questions:
- Where
are the products manufactured? Does the facility have ISO 9001 certification?
ISO 9001 certification proves facilities meet strict international standards
in quality assurance for design, development, production, installation
and service.
- Do the products
meet ANSI and CSA standards? Not all harnesses meet ANSI standards,
even though they may be labeled as meeting these standards.
- Does the fall
protection manufacturer have a Statistical Process Control (SPC) program?
Fall-protection products are only as good as the quality of the raw
materials/ components.
- Does the manufacturer
participate in Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) or any other recognized
third-party testing of their products?
- Does the manufacturer
have qualified engineers who design and test products? Ask for documented
results for dynamic drop tests and static load tests.
Strapping down safety
Harness construction is anything but standard. Some harnesses are manufactured
without a back strap. In the event of a fall, the person may actually fall
out of the back of the harness. Chest straps should be easy to adjust, and
must withstand a fall without tearing or breaking. In test cases with inferior
quality harnesses, some chest straps have broken from fall forces.
Hardy hardware that's comfortable
A harness should have hardware that's sturdy, but not oversized and awkward.
At the same time, connecting devices (shock-absorbing lanyards) should attach
easily to the hardware. For example, the D-rings on some harnesses are so
small that attaching a lanyard can be a tricky process. Harness hardware
also poses a hazard if it has sharp edges. The edges can cut into harness
webbing, or can be positioned in such a way that they dig into the skin
in the event of a fall. To protect workers from hardware injuries, the components
must be appropriately manufactured and assembled.
Hardware with exposed springs should be avoided. Exposed springs, especially
on friction buckles, can be easily disabled or removed. Reliable hardware
construction is important, and should be certified to meet the requirements
set forth in ANSI Z359.1 and CSA standards.
How
to Don a Harness in Six Easy Steps That Could Save Your Life
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1. Hold harness
by back D-ring. Shake harness to allow all straps to fall in place.
2. If chest, leg and/or waist straps are buckled, release straps and
unbuckle at this time.
3. Slip straps over shoulders so D-ring is located in middle of back
between shoulder blades.
4. Pull leg strap between legs and connect to opposite end. Repeat
with second leg strap. If using a belted harness, connect waist strap
after leg straps. Waist strap should be tight, but not binding.
5. Connect chest strap and position in mid-chest area. Tighten to
keep shoulder straps taut.
6. After all straps have been buckled, tighten all buckles so that
harness fits snugly but allows full range of movement. Pass excess
strap through loop keepers.
Remember, harness styles vary; always refer to instructions enclosed
with the harness.
(By Douglas Mercier, Dalloz Safety). |
Avoiding tangled webs
Webbing may seem like an innocuous item that would be similar in all cases,
but it varies drastically from brand to brand. Some harnesses use webbing
that folds over and tangles, and that can be as frustrating as handling
a tangled telephone cord. Harness webbing should be sturdy, and the yarns
should be tightly woven so the webbing slides easily through the hardware.
If webbing snags when it glides under hardware, it can result in cuts to
the webbing. Once cut, the harness must be taken out of service.
Examining harness webbing is extremely important. Excessive abrasion will
cause webbing to fray and pucker, eventually ending the service life of
the harness. Stitching is just as important as the structural integrity
of the harness. The stitching must not rip away during a fall.
Harness webbing should resist the effects of sun, heat and moisture for
an extended period of time. If a harness is used in an electrical environment,
it must also resist conductivity. If it's used in a harsh chemical environment,
the webbing must be able to resist toxic chemical fumes and splashes.
Pliable padding
Padding is meant to make the harness more comfortable, but if it's difficult
to adjust or is made of material that becomes brittle in cold weather, it
can become another problem that discourages proper use of the harness.
How does the harness work?
It sounds too simple to address, but clear, easy-to-read instructions should
accompany every harness. In the best-case scenario, the instructions will
be in more than one language — English, French and Spanish, for example.
All instructions should include explicit guidelines for usage, maintenance
and inspection.
It all adds up to safety
When purchasing a harness, make sure you buy the correct harness for the
appropriate application. Remember, employees will more readily and properly
wear a comfortable harness that easily adapts to lanyards and other connecting
devices. The more comfortable the harness, the better your company's chances
of employees wearing them, and that increases safety and regulatory compliance,
and most importantly saves lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Douglas Mercier is senior product manager for Dalloz Fall Protection, a
leader in manufacturing fall-protection equipment, and in training and engineered
systems. The ISEA member company has been manufacturing fall-protection
products for more than 50 years in Franklin, PA. Mercier may be contacted
at (814)432-2118, ext. 1028, or dmercier@dallozsafety.com.
This paper
appears in the eLCOSH website with the permission of the author and/or
copyright holder and may not be reproduced without their consent. eLCOSH
is an information clearinghouse. eLCOSH and its sponsors are not responsible
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