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Employers must do some research before investing in fall protection harnesses.
After all, it is a matter of their employees’ health.
This FAQ guide provides all the knowledge you need on safety harnesses so that you can choose the best.
Figure 1: Fall Protection Harness
As the name indicates, a fall protection harness is a safety kit that prevents the user from serious injury during the fall.
Working at an elevation without a safety harness can be risky.
According to various reports, falls from heights are a significant reason for damages and deaths at workplaces.
Fortunately, fall protection harnesses are a great safety solution letting workers be safe while working at a certain height.
The protection harness prevents the users from falling to the ground.
Since wearers attach themselves to a stationary object, they do not hit the ground.
A fall protection harness is a crucial gear for workers working at a height.
Before you use any product you should be aware of its basic functionality.
And the same goes with a protection harness.
The safety harness distributes the body load of the wearer and keeps them upstanding during the fall.
Moreover, the standing position enables the deceleration device to work accurately.
Since the user’s spine is vertical, it better sucks up the compressive forces of the fall.
The protection harness lets the wearer attach themselves to a fixed object.
Therefore, wearers do not get hit to the ground during the fall.
Investing in fall protection harnesses is crucial for companies whose employees work in hazardous conditions locations.
When you buy a high-quality protection harness, you get assurance that your workers are working safely at a certain height.
Do not forget that employers are legally accountable for providing their workers a safe working environment.
As per OSHA regulations, employers are responsible for making the workplace hazard-free for their workers.
Their guidelines say all the companies need to provide their workers (working at elevations) with complete fall protection.
Fall protection harnesses prevent employees from falling and also let them perform hands-free operations.
Figure 2: Fall Protection Harness Accessories
A fall protection harness comes with accessories like safety straps, buckles, etc.
All these accessories together make a better fall prevention harness.
The wearer places safety straps and buckles tactically in the body areas to support their overall body weight.
These body parts include the shoulders, pelvis, chest, and upper thighs.
These small accessories help the body harnesses meet OSHA standards that state that the utmost arresting force of a fall prevention harness should not go beyond 1800 pounds.
By achieving this, the harness protects delicate body parts like the neck and stomach area.
It is because the harness soaks up the force of the fall.
There is no straightforward answer for this.
After all, there are various types of safety harnesses available in the market.
However, to buy high-quality full-body safety harnesses at an affordable price, you should look for a Chinese supplier.
China is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of fall protection equipment.
Since raw material and labor costs are cheaper in China, you get safety harnesses at the best price.
A fall arrest harness uses various materials as it consists of several accessories.
Moreover, the different manufacturers use different types of materials.
For example, some use nylon while others use polyester.
Similarly, you may get an option for chrome metal buckles or aluminum buckles in accessories.
At APAC, we sell polyester-made fall protection harnesses.
The significant benefit of polyester material is that it is wrinkle-resistant, lightweight, and durable.
Moreover, it does not catch the stain easily.
So before you place an order, get to know what kind of material the fall prevention harness uses.
Generally, a protection harness can last up to 6 years.
With proper maintenance, you can even use them for up to 10 years.
You may find it surprising, but neither ANSI nor OSHA has set standards and guidelines for making them unserviceable.
The potential issue with it is that how long a harness will last is a matter of inspection.
The expiration date of a safety harness might give the wearer a false feeling of safety.
Therefore, you should check the quality of your harness from time to time.
Several factors determine the durability of a harness.
A few are listed below.
Excessive exposure to the sun may weaken the synthetic fibers.
So always store the harness in a dark place, away from direct sunlight.
Harsh cleaning agents may weaken the components like D-ring and buckles.
It is advisable to use only approved cleaning methods.
Always store the fall protection harness in a suspended position so that it does not lose its shape.
Figure 3: Safety Harness Height Requirement
At what height employees should wear a fall protection harness depends on the industry they belong to.
OSHA has set the following criteria for the same.
People working in the construction industry should wear safety harnesses
when working at 6 feet height and above.
In the shipping industry, people working at the height of 5 feet need to use harnesses.
The general industry wants fall prevention harnesses for any employees working at a height over 4 feet.
However, employers should follow the minimum height rule if employees work over hazardous machinery, equipment, or place.
Figure 4: Right Fall Protection Harness
Choosing an ideal safety harness is quite crucial to achieve the utmost safety at the workplace.
The following tips will help you get the best protection harness for your staff.
Webbings are harness straps made out of polyester.
Make sure they are durable and robust enough to endure the body weight and harsh weather.
Check out if you get high-quality, galvanized metal buckles.
Try buckling and unbuckling them to see their response.
Also, check the buckle adjust system for smooth tightening and loosening.
Straps
A good quality protection harness must have adjustable straps to fit different body shapes and sizes.
An employer also needs to see the quality of padding as it is going to touch-sensitive body parts.
Padding provides comfort so that a worker can perform his duties all day long comfortably.
Also, ensure the harness is providing good support to the pelvic area.
It would determine the durability of the safety harness to a great extent.
Choose a harness having quality stitching.
In the end, do not forget to check if you are getting all the necessary accessories for the fall protection harness.
An employer needs to check that the safety harnesses they are buying follow certain quality standards.
ANSI or American National Standard Institute is a not-for-profit organization that supervises the development and standardization of products and services in the United States.
ANSI fall protection standard addresses fall protection gears for working at elevation.
It also mentions how to prevent injuries when working at height.
Safety professionals can check ANSI/ASSE Z359 fall protection standards to learn different fall protection requirements in the workplace.
It will help you learn the requirements for a complete personal fall arrest system.
OSHA, a regulatory agency in the United States, ensures healthy working conditions for workers by imposing standards.
OSHA states that all the workers in the construction industry who are working
at the elevation of 6-feet must use a fall protection harness.
In addition to this, they have set several rules and methods an employer should use to prevent their employees from hazards while working at elevations.
The standard also mentions requirements for fall arrest harnesses.
Figure 5: How to Wear Fall Protection Harness
There is no benefit of using a protection harness if you are not putting it the right way.
Figure 6 Inspecting Fall Protection Harness
A regular inspection is necessary if you want to check the usability of your fall protection harnesses.
An employer should hire a professional to inspect all the safety harnesses every time before use.
The inspection should be as per the following steps.
First, check both sides of webbing using your hands.
Make sure there are no cuts and nicks on the webbing.
Also, inspect the stitching quality.
Pulled stitches, shiny spots, and cut stitches can be signs of poor stitching.
Do not ignore the buckles and other metal components.
Find out if all the buckles are moving smoothly.
The connect buckle should work accurately.
Ensure the D-ring is not deformed and cracked.
Ensure all tags and labels are readable.
The harness must include the model number, manufacturer name, manufacturing date, warnings, and limitations.
Take care of cleaning and storage as well.
Clean the dirt over the safety harness with plain water with the help of a sponge.
If required, you can also use mild detergent, but then wipe with a dry cloth.
Store fall protection harness in a dry place.
Keep the storage area dry and clean.
It should be away from direct sunlight.
Note: Follow all the guidelines of OSHA for the inspection of safety harnesses.
You can not get quality fall protection harnesses until you get the right supplier.
Therefore, you should look for a trustworthy fall protection harness supplier.
Unfortunately, it is not as easy as it seems.
Since there are numberless suppliers in the market dealing in a safety harness, it can be tricky for construction companies to choose the right one.
Follow the below steps of the selection.
Do not hesitate to ask your potential supplier for how long they are working in the industry.
An experienced manufacturer/supplier better understands the needs of workers.
In the internet era, you can read online reviews about any of your potential suppliers.
Find out what their previous customers have to say about their products and services.
A trustworthy supplier does not use poor-quality material on its safety harnesses.
If you have a doubt, consider another supplier.
A reputable supplier makes harnesses that meet international quality standards.
Check if the supplier sells harnesses that are as per ANSI and OSHA standards.
Go with the supplier that provides warranty and after-sales service.
Buying a fall protection harness is straightforward in modern times.
You can either buy them online or offline at your convenience.
A construction company that is looking for safety harnesses in bulk must go for a Chinese supplier.
You can get a list of potential suppliers online.
Compare their product quality and price.
Based on your comparison, make the decision.
At APAC, we also sell ANSI and OSHA-compliant fall protection harnesses at pocket-friendly prices.
We are a leading supplier of fall protection equipment in China, supplying goods all across the globe.
APAC is an experienced supplier of fall prevention equipment.
Contact us now to get a price quote for protection harnesses.
APAC is your construction site safety expert, we help you reduce risks and protect your properties and lives.
