Fall Restraint Harness: Pre-use, In-between and After-use Safety Tips

Fall restraint harness, a kind of safety harness and fall protection equipment, can be effectively used when working at height. There is a big risk of personal injury when you work at height. In such cases, the safety harnesses work efficiently.

The fall restraint not required to continuously support the weight of a person, but in the event of fall, the person must be rescued immediately. A rescue plan must be prepared for implementation and in case of fall, harness must be withdrawn instantly from the service.

It is mandatory to check the safety harness for pre-use, in-between the use and after-use to avoid any kind of the risk. Likewise, a lanyard must be adjusted well to its shortest possible length so that it can prevent the user from reaching at the risk zone of falling from height.

Pre-checking the Harness

• Harness must be properly inspected for any cuts, burns, tears, damage and abrasion due to heat, solvents and paint.
• Broken or cut threads must be inspected along with weakened threads due to mildew, rotting or UV exposure.
• Free latch movement also needs to be verified such as weak, misplaced or broken latch springs.
• It is also necessary to ensure that it is free from dirt, rust, paint or obstruction.
• The double-acting latch opening must be verified to fit a lock bolt to the latch on the harness end of lanyard.

Fitting a Fall Restraint Harness

• Harness is picked up by a metal ‘D’ ring with which lanyard is attached
• Legs should be placed with the two leg loops while arms must be placed through the two arm loops.
• Two chest straps are connected together and then shoulder straps are adjusted to keep them closer to the chest.
• Chest straps and two leg straps are adjusted.
• All straps can also be readjusted to gain a relaxing fit while it has been assured to keep it near the chest.
• All the straps must be tightened swiftly while allowing free movement.

While Working With the Harness

• Lanyard must be connected to the approved anchor points only.
• Periodically recheck the straps to get correct fitting.
• Always ensure to have a rescue plan ready whenever required.

Removing the Harness

• All adjustable straps should be loosened.
• Arms and legs must be removed from harness loops.
• Store harness out of the elements with utmost care.

It is a smart approach to use fall protection and safety restraint harness when you are working at the edge of risk at the height locations. Aforementioned factors can act beneficial in taking out safe results. Starting from fitting a harness and removing it at the end, there are set of precautionary measures that need to be taken into consideration while working at height.