Selecting the Right Safety Harnesses for the Job

SAFETY FIRST

No matter what kind of work your company does, the safety of your employees is vital to your business. Providing everyone in your facilities and worksites with the proper instruction, skills, and equipment to minimize risk of workplace injury is one of your most important responsibilities.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics finds that falling is one of the most common workplace hazards, and OSHA fall protection regulations provide extensive information about how to minimize the danger of falls, recommending or requiring several categories of safety devices for your company to use. One such device, and perhaps one of the most important pieces of equipment in fall protection, are personal fall arrest harnesses, often also referred to as “safety harnesses” or “body harnesses.”

FALL PROTECTION HARNESS FUNDAMENTALS

Simply put, harnesses prevent serious injuries and save lives, as part of a complete active fall protection system. This system includes anchors, lanyards, along with other connectors, and OSHA/-compliant body harnesses. According to OSHA 1910.140(b): “Body harness means straps that secure about the employee in a manner to distribute the fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest, and shoulders with a means for attaching the harness to other components of a personal fall protection system.” OSHA also requires that each harness be inspected before every use, as well as being given an annual safety inspection by a competent person. OSHA 1910.140 goes into detail about the requirements for individual fall protection systems, and you should review these regulations to make sure you are in compliance before deciding on the right safety harness system for your workplace.

Fall arrest harnesses are available in a wide range of models designed to suit the needs of many different industries, tasks, and workers. To make informed decisions about the appropriate safety harnesses to provide your employees, you should understand the different fall protection harness types. Below is an overview of the primary harness categories, highlighting the industries and applications they are designed for, as well as the key features that make them the right fit for the job.

BASIC COMPLIANCE HARNESSES

• Designed for limited use, basic OSHA compliance.

For some industries and workplaces, having safety harnesses on hand is simply a matter of complying with OSHA fall protection requirements for tasks they rarely perform or conditions they seldom encounter. These “compliance” harnesses often feature a single dorsal D-Ring (a reinforced attachment point used for connecting the harness to lifelines or structural anchorage points) located on the back of the harness, and just 3 points of size adjustment: one chest strap and two leg straps.

This category of harnesses is a good choice if your employees will be using the fall protection harness briefly and infrequently. Roofing contractors generally keep Compliance harnesses in their vehicles, and facilities such as refineries stock them for use by their crews in annual repainting of their high spaces. Since safety harnesses must be discarded if they get any paint, tar, solvents, or other caustic substances on them, the low price point of Compliance harnesses makes it cost-effective for these industries to treat them as disposable, single-use items.

PERFORMANCE HARNESSES

• Easy-to-use, with additional features such as tool belts, added D-rings

These high-quality harnesses, as the name implies, are highly functional and include several useful features beyond what you’ll find in a Compliance harness. Even so, they are designed to maximize simplicity for training, usage, and inspection. These harnesses typically come with integrated lanyard attachment clips, with a convenient elastic “keeper” which holds excess lanyard webbing in a tidy bundle to avoid tangling.

Different models of fall arrest harnesses in the “Performance” tier allow you to provide workers with detachable tool belts and additional D-Rings. These are particularly important for applications where employees on high ladders will need to perform tasks that include the use of both hands, as OSHA ladder regulations require that at least 3 points of contact (hands, feet, or D-ring harness attachments) be maintained at all times. Most harnesses in this category have 5 points of adjustment (including 1 chest strap, 2 leg straps, and 2 side straps), making it possible to get a more personalized fit for the employee, and some models feature tongue-buckle straps (rather than the usual pass-through metal ring attachments) for easier adjustment.

COMFORT MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE

• Designed with breathable linings and additional padding for less strain and extra comfort.

Safety is top priority, but if your employees spend frequent or extended time working in a fall protection harness, you should consider how important the features of the Comfort tier can be. These harnesses should have breathable linings and shoulder padding that minimizes weight on a worker’s upper body. An adjustable sub-pelvic strap and individual shoulder straps (with a fixed chest strap) can make weight distribution much more comfortable. Special buckle designs and rubber sliders can also prevent the belts and straps on the harness from sliding and slipping.

Comfort harness models will often include additional features which add to their work functionality and convenience. Sternum and side D-Rings make it easy to maintain 3-point contact while working. Auto-lock buckles make it quick and simple for a worker to put their personal harness on and off, while tongue-and groove buckles at multiple points of adjustment are ideal for shared equipment or for year-round use where thicker or thinner seasonal clothing may need to be worn under the harness.

THE PEAK OF PRO SPECIALIZATION

• Harnesses for specific applications like tower workers, welders, fire rescue and more.

Professional-tier harnesses are made to stand up to the most long-term wear and to offer the most specialization for the demands of particular industries. For work on wind turbines and other high-electricity environments, choose Professional harnesses that use aluminum rather than steel for buckles and most of their connectors (except dorsal D-Rings, which are required to be stainless steel). For welding, fire rescue, and other applications where there is risk of exposure to extreme heat or flames, you can select harnesses made of Kevlar. Harnesses optimized for rescue teams should also include independent leg straps, a lumbar support belt, and additional D-Rings to allow use of rescue ropes and provide better attachment and support while lifting/moving a person in dangerous situations.

PART OF A COMPLETE SYSTEM

Even the best fall protection harnesses are only part of your safety solution. Implementing complete personal fall protection requires partnering with a safety specialist who has extensive professional knowledge of compliance with OSHA fall protection requirements, as well as the technical expertise to design and install a comprehensive system.

Tractel is a leader in providing the customized safety solutions and products that fulfill these OSHA fall protection requirements while improving the safety of your employees and your business. Our specialists are ready to help you make the right safety decisions, including finding the best fall arrest harnesses for your applications at the Compliance, Performance, Comfort, and Professional tiers. To get started, visit our online store or contact a Tractel safety specialist today.