“Harness your potential for safety”
Although PPE is always considered a “last line of defence” it is often the first line of focus. Safety harnesses are highly visible pieces of PPE. As a piece of PPE it comes under the safety regulations of PUWER, but as it is also recognised as a lifting-system, it also comes under LOLER.
Here are 5 FACTS for safe use of Safety Harnesses:
Flat: Make sure the webbing is flat. Check to ensure that it lays flat
against the body. Twists and knots in the fabric will cause pinch-points and prove very uncomfortable at best
Adjust: Do not “step in” to your harness. Unclip all buckles when taking it off, and re-clip all buckles when putting it on. This will increase the chances of you checking that each strap is adjusted to the “2 fingers” rule.
Connect: all buckles and karabiners. Check the anchor point and make sure you can connect to that appropriately.
Tighten: all lanyards to the minimum length required to do the task. Working in “fall restraint” (adjusted with no slack so as to prevent a fall) is always the preferred option?
Secure: all tools with a wrist tether. Dropping things on heads can be a fatal as falling itself, so ensure that the working area below you is also secured from 3rd party access,
THE RAM SPEAKS
“A good RAM will be able to justify the use of personal fall protection equipment (a harness) over preferred collective fall measures.”
HARNESS CHECKS
Flat webbing
Adjust straps
Connect all fixings
Tighten lanyards
Secure with wrist tethers & barriers below
SUSPENSION RECOVERY
This is quite the disputed subject, with thorough studies done both for and against the effects of suspension trauma. In such cases, it is always better to err on the side of caution. Thus, in the event of someone being suspended for any length of time in his harness, once recovered, ensure they sit in the “W” recovery position until the emergency services arrive. This will reduce the chances of suspension-related heart attack.
