Safety harnesses help to stabilize you in an elevated location or prevent you from falling from that site. For example, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, notes that positioning and retrieval harnesses allow you to work with both hands free. Fall-protection harnesses arrest your fall before it becomes catastrophic.
Sport Harnesses
Special-purpose safety harnesses can be used for specific sports. A hunting harness helps you to safely climb trees and remain in tree stands. Marine safety harnesses are designed to keep you aboard a boat in rough weather. Climbing harnesses assist rock and mountain climbers to scale and descend from peaks safely.
Components
Safety harness systems generally include three components. You'll need a properly sized full-body safety harness and an anchorage, a line or tether that ties you to a fixed structure. Finally, a connector integrates the anchorage with the harness. Components combine to allow controlled energy absorption if you accidentally fall, stresses Viper Industrial Safety Supply.
Considerations
Decide whether a general-purpose harness is appropriate, or you need a harness designed for a specific occupation or sport. Choose between a one-size model or a harness sized specifically for your body structure. Take into account the clothing that you are likely to be wearing while using the harness. Evaluate harness materials, as well as D-ring and buckle placement. Finally, look at your budget and obtain the best harness value, recommends TESSCO.
Sources
Industrial safety supply companies carry general-purpose full-body harnesses and occupation-specific systems, such as oil derrick or electrical utility harnesses. You can also purchase safety harnesses from online retailers that stock OSHA-approved harnesses for varied occupations. You can buy sport-related harnesses from retailers specializing in equipment for that sport.
Harness Inspection
Inspect your safety harness regularly for defects or wear. Examine the webbing for evidence of fraying or cuts. Ensure the buckle has no torn or distorted holes that could cause harness slippage. Look for sharp buckle edges that can cut the webbing. Make sure rivets are not bent and that any rope components have uniform diameters. If any component appears compromised, replace the harness, recommends the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Harness Hazards
You can experience severe injury, or even death, from a properly used safety harness that suspends you in an upright position. Suspension trauma occurs when your legs dangle below your heart for more than a few minutes and the harness creates pressure on your leg veins. This pressure results in reduced blood flow to your heart, leading to unconsciousness and frequently death.
References
- United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Fall Protection Categories
- Viper Industrial Safety Supply: Personal Fall Protection Systems
- TESSCO: Climbing Safety: Safety Harnesses
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: Safety Belts, Harnesses & Lanyards
- Occupational Health & Safety Magazine: Will Your Safety Harness Kill You
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