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A fall safety harness is one of the most common pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), and OSHA requires that rescue team workers have fall safety harnesses meeting specific search and rescue gear standards .However, users rarely consider whether they have one that's best suited for their individual needs. With many varieties of safety harnesses available ranging from those with simple webbing straps to options with dual break-away lanyard keepers, breathable mesh shoulder pads and more, it’s also possible that there are better options your team may not be aware of.
Given the wide range of products suitable for different working environments, we have outlined specific features rescue teams and other experts who work at heights can search for to help them find the best safety harness for their unique situation.
What to Look for in a Safety Harness
As you consider options for your team, focusing on specific key features can help you narrow down your choices and confidently arrive at an informed decision. To help you out, here are some of the most important things to examine when you’re buying harnesses for your rescue team.
Padding
Padding adds an extra layer of comfort in case of a fall or during a post-fall suspension, making it an important aspect of any fall safety harness’ design. Therefore, if comfort is of special concern when looking for equipment, ensure that padding is placed on every part of contact with your body. Good padding should at least cushion your back, hips and shoulders. You should also look for removable padding for convenient washing and replacement.
Quick Connect Buckles
There are different types of connect buckles for search and rescue harnesses. This includes mating or pass-through buckles, tongue buckles and quick-connect buckles, the most recent and best option. A fall safety harness with quick-connect buckles has easily adjustable lock and unlock points. These points also keep straps from loosening once the user adjusts them to the appropriate length. They work similarly to a car seat belt, hence their efficiency.
That efficiency is key in rescue situations. Rescue workers at heights, for example, need a harness that offers quick attachment to lifelines, easy adjustability, a minimum of cumbersome belts and cables, and quick detachment so they get out to a stranded victim as fast as possible.
Webbing and Stitching
Webbing is another feature an industrial safety harness shouldn't skip. Modern harnesses use different kinds of webbing that are heat resistant, elastic and more, meaning you and your team can find a harness option for your specific needs. For instance, electric maintenance experts and welders prefer heat-resistant and anti-static webbing for their protection. A painter will most likely need a liquid and paint-resistant fall safety harness due to the nature of their work.
A good industrial safety harness should also use stretchable webbing to allow greater freedom of movement.
Look out for a harness with a double box stitching pattern to ensure quality stitching. This type provides maximum strength that can help support a team member’s weight and ensure that the belts don't wear out on areas with more friction, such as the contact area between the buckles and D-rings. This enhances durability, which brings value to your investment.
Integrated Safety Accessories
Modern safety harnesses have several integrated safety accessories that provide fall protection. Different options are available, varying from spring-loaded dorsal D-rings, suspension-trauma straps and impact indicators.
The Spring-Loaded Dorsal D-rings
The spring-loaded dorsal D-rings offer extra security during a fall since they're the main attachment point for retractables, lifelines and lanyards. In addition, they always stay upright, making them easier to reach and connect to additional fall protection equipment. These D-rings are also used with self-retracting lifelines to restrict additional swing force during a fall. Self-retracting lifelines reduce slack, restricting any movement and allowing rescuers and users to use the D-rings safely.
In addition, rescue workers will find these handy not only for connecting their harness to a rescue system, but also for connecting themselves to the victim they’re saving. Spring-loaded dorsal D-rings can help execute an efficient extraction while keeping the connection between rescuer and victim stable and minimizing the risk of accidental detachment in the process.
Impact Indicators
Quality fall safety harnesses should have impact indicators to meet ANSI/ASSP Z359.11 standards. This feature provides a quick visual aid for impact inspection of the search and rescue gear. There are two types of impact indicators: one incorporated into the harness D-rings and a fold-over style that is webbed and stitched together with the rear vertical harness. This feature usually activates after a force of 450-650 Ibs.
Suspension Trauma Relief Strap
The suspension trauma relief strap is a greatly overlooked and underutilized safety feature in a safety harness. This extra safety feature relieves pressure on stressed points of the body when a person working at height is suspended after a fall and remains arrested by suspension belts. They are usually attached close to the waist area by looping a part of the webbing of the straps.
The suspension trauma relief straps loop at the lower part of the harness, allowing the suspended user to step on them. This reduces and relocates the body pressure on the body, relieving the user while hanging in suspension and awaiting rescue.
D-Ring Attachment Points
A reliable fall safety harness should have specific types of D-rings placed at strategic points to ensure maximum safety. For instance, it should include the dorsal or back D-ring, which connects the points that link the self-retracting lifeline. Besides the back D-ring, the safety harness should have side D-rings. These rings are located near the user's waist and are suitable for positioning applications. Users who climb ladders should ensure their safety harness has frontal attachment D-rings. Finally, search and rescue gear should have shoulder D-ring attachment points to maintain an excellent upright retrieval posture.
Lanyard Keepers
Safety lanyards are often used in conjunction with harnesses. These are webbing cables attached to the dorsal D-ring and an anchor point to protect the wearer and free them to allow working with both hands. While these features are not in use, they may lead to entanglement, putting the user at risk of a fall. Therefore, while choosing your industrial safety harness, ensure they have lanyard keepers for enhanced safety. These velcro attachments provide a place to park the lanyard's scaffold hook while not in use and avoid entangling the user.
Get the Best Safety Harness at Tractel®
Your search and rescue team’s safety should be top-of-mind when they’re working at heights, and that calls for the best fall safety harness that you can get. Therefore, your options should at least have the features described above to maintain the highest level of safety for your workers.
Tractel® is a world-leading specialist in work-at-height safety equipment. Our fall safety harnesses suit several end-user applications, particularly energy, service, construction, search and rescue and infrastructure projects. Regardless of the scope of your work-at-height projects, our fall safety harness will guarantee superior comfort and unparalleled protection for your workers. For more information about our products, feel free to contact us today.