The body harness is one of three components of a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS), with an anchorage & connection device completing the equipment list. Some organizations put a lot of effort into choosing the “right” harness for their folks, and others treat the body harness as nothing more than a commoditized accessory. There is no right or wrong way to approach supplying body harnesses to a crew, as long as workers are donning them correctly and are using their harnesses properly. This article will discuss some of the features and accessories commonly offered with body harnesses and their various use applications to provide guidance in differentiating between the available options.
Before proceeding, it’s important to understand that no matter what a manufacturer may claim, there are no features that can be offered with a harness that inherently make a harness any “safer” than any other harness on the market. That said, there are some harness features that increase user comfort or ergonomics and make the user more likely to properly don the harness or less likely to remove it due to discomfort. Sometimes, the best PPE is not the one that costs the most or has the most features, but it’s the PPE that a user will wear correctly every time. Thorough training can ensure workers are using the right harness for them in terms of equipment and fit.
Harness inspections
Harnesses, along with every other piece of fall protection equipment, must be visually inspected by the user prior to each use. First, users must verify the manufacturer’s tag or label is still intact. OSHA requires tags to be present on the harness to confirm OSHA/ANSI compliance, the age of the harness, and to provide accountability if a fall were to occur in that harness. Second, users must verify the harness has not been through a fall. ANSI Z359 requires harnesses to contain “deployment indicators,” because fall protection equipment is only rated to successfully arrest one fall before the equipment must be replaced. These indicators are typically located on the two back straps of the harness and consist of two layers of webbing stitched over each other (resembling a “Z” shape). If a fall occurs, the stitches tear the “Z,” and the strap straightens. Newer harnesses even reveal a concealed tag that clearly communicates that the harness has experienced a fall and must be removed from service. Lastly, the user must check for any physical defects that could affect the harness’s performance in a fall. Webbing should be checked for issues like cuts, holes, burns, or tears; stitching should be inspected to ensure it is fully intact all over the harness; and any metal hardware should be inspected for signs of rust or decay.
Vigilant pre-use inspections can identify faulty equipment and ensure workers are working in gear that will perform as designed by the manufacturer. If a piece of equipment fails a pre-use inspection, the worker is expected to report the equipment to safety leadership. Safety leadership is expected to resolve the issue by replacing the equipment or selecting another form of fall protection before the expected work can continue. Further, vigilant pre-use inspections can ease the burden on the annually-required Competent Person inspections on the equipment. In theory, all issues should be addressed during pre-use inspections and should never “fail” once it comes around to annual inspection time. High failure rates during annual Competent Person inspections can indicate a lack of awareness regarding the importance of pre-use inspections and provide an opportunity to retrain employees.
Harness selection
When deciding on the proper harness, it is important to determine if additional d-rings or features will be necessary to help the worker safely perform their task. For example, if a chest d-ring is required for ladder climbing, a waist belt will be needed to hold tools, etc. This next section will describe the various D-rings & features that can exist on a harness and their functions:
Dorsal D-ring
The Dorsal D-ring is the primary connection point on the harness and will exist on every fall protection harness purchased. The dorsal d-ring harness is usually the only connection point on a harness rated for fall arrest, as its placement is designed to reorient the body after a fall and help the fall victim maintain the body in an upright position. When the harness is properly donned, the dorsal d-ring should be situated between the shoulder blades in the center of the back. If it’s placed too high, the user runs the risk of being struck in the back of the head by the snaphook of their lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (SRL). If the dorsal d-ring is too low, the body will not be kept upright during a fall, and the user could experience further injuries during the arrest.
Side D-rings
Many workers mistakenly use side D-rings for fall arrest equipment or to park unused lanyard keepers. ANSI guidelines & product manuals will advise against both practices, so employers should be sure to review best practices & limitations when issuing equipment. Side d-rings can never be used in fall arrest applications.
The side D-rings are primarily used for work positioning, where a user is connected into a system that holds them in place and allows them to use both hands for their task instead of for balance or stabilization. Work positioning is used in many applications, but erecting rebar columns is a great example. Rebar workers will utilize a chain lanyard that connects to both side d-rings and has an oversized snaphook on the opposite end (the lanyard is “Y-shaped”). The worker can attach the snaphook directly to the rebar column so they can use both hands to continue tying rebar while their harness & lanyard keeps them in a secure position.
Side D-rings can also be used in restraint applications. Travel restraint (formerly referred to as fall restraint) is when a user is connected to a lanyard or SRL that is shorter than the distance to the nearest unprotected edge, so they are unable to fall while connected into the system. Since the user will not be subject to a fall, connecting to the side d-rings is acceptable in this application.
Front D-ring
The front D-ring’s location can vary depending on the harness manufacturer. Most are placed in line with the front chest strap, while others are located near the navel area or waist level. Most chest D-rings are primarily used for ladder climbing or confined space descent. However, consult the harness manual to confirm uses and limitations. Unless otherwise stated in the harness manual, the front D-ring is not typically rated for fall arrest.
On ladder safety systems, the shuttle device that connects the user to the rail or cable system will attach to the climber’s chest D-ring. In confined space applications, it is common for users to connect a winch or descent device to their chest D-ring, while the dorsal D-ring is connected to an overhead SRL.
Shoulder D-rings
Shoulder D-rings are the least common attachment method and require an additional spreader bar to operate. These d-rings are used for certain confined space descent scenarios, when a worker cannot climb down onto a ladder to access their workspace below.
Tool tether rings
On some of the newest harnesses on the market, manufacturers have included additional D-rings dedicated to tool tethers. The concept of tool tethering prevents the risk of falling objects, (AKA dropped object prevention). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, each year, approximately 200 occupation fatalities are caused by falling objects. Several fall protection manufacturers have expanded their offerings to provide tethers for various tools used at heights, and harnesses are now available with integrated tool anchorage points. These tool tether rings are typically located on the shoulder, side, leg straps, or on the waist belt. These D-rings can never be used for personal fall protection systems but can ensure tools dropped by a fall victim do not injure workers below.
Waist belts
A fall protection harness with an integrated waist belt is often referred to as a “construction” style harness, but it can be used for any industry. Construction workers tend to prefer waist belts so they can integrate tool belts into their fall protection harnesses. However, waist belts can also offer lumbar support and provide a more ergonomic fit for users, depending on what type of work they are performing. Anyone can use any harness. Allow subject matter knowledge to make informed equipment decisions, not vendor marketing jargon.
More features, more problems?
Again, there is no right or wrong way to supply fall protection equipment to workers, as long as they are trained to use it properly and it contains the necessary hardware for them to safely complete their work. However, tragedies can happen if workers misuse features on a harness. For example, a worker can suffer extensive back injuries if they suffer a fall with an SRL connected to a side D-ring.
Keeping the fall protection equipment as simple as possible is recommended. It is easier to train workers on what their harness can do instead of warning against all the potential for misuse. Supplying workers with harnesses with additional D-rings they will never use simply raises the risk of equipment misuse and becomes a liability to manage. Do not provide the opportunity for a tragedy to occur.
Conclusion
For all the above-described harness options, these are accessories that the manufacturer must integrate during the original construction of the harness. In other words, if a worker realizes they need a chest D-ring on their harness for an upcoming job, there is no way to add one to an existing harness. In this scenario, a new harness with the necessary equipment would have to be purchased to perform the planned work safely and maintain legal compliance.
It is extremely important to fully understand a worker's needs before selecting their fall protection harness. Not enough of the right features can allow people to work unsafely, and too many of the wrong features increase the chances of misuse. It is also important to understand what equipment is compatible with a facility's existing fall protection systems and if any additional equipment must be purchased.
