Personal Protective Equipment: Safety Harnesses
Objective: To provide an overview of safety harness requirements for use, inspection, maintenance, and storage.
Safety harnesses are a common form of fall protection personal protective equipment (PPE). Due to the dangers of working at heights, ensuring that your harness is in good condition is essential. If fall protection equipment is required, employees must be trained on the facility’s fall protection program, hazards, and the use of fall protection equipment before beginning work.
Common Hazards that Require Safety Harnesses
Workplace hazards that may require the use of safety harnesses if fall hazards cannot be addressed in another manner include:
- Unprotected sides and edges in raised areas.
- Holes or openings in roofs, floors, or other raised areas
- Runways or similar walkways
- Dockboards
- Dangerous equipment
- Repair pits, service pits, and assembly pits
Depending on the type of industry you are in, your fall protection requirements set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may vary.
Selection of Safety Harnesses
There are many different types of safety harnesses available. Use your facility’s workplace hazard assessment to determine the appropriate type of harness for your task. Choose a harness that is:
- Made of appropriate materials to suit your task/hazards
- Configurable to support your various operations
- Appropriately sized for the employee
- Compliant with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z359.11 Standard
Proper Use of Safety Harnesses
Keep your harness effective by properly using and caring for it.
- Do not drop your harness on the ground from any height.
- Never alter the harness by cutting or punching holes.
- Do not let the harness contact:
- Sharp or abrasive objects.
- Acids, caustics, or other corrosive materials.
- Paints or coatings.
- Never use a defective or worn harness.
- Wear your harness over your base layer of clothing.
Inspection Criteria
Inspect your harness at a minimum before use. When inspecting the harness, look at both the webbing and the hardware.
Common inspection concerns for the webbing (fabric portions) include:
- Fraying
- Holes
- Cuts
- Missing or damaged straps
- Stretching
- Any other signs of excessive wear or damage
Common inspection concerns for the hardware (D-rings, buckles, connectors, etc.) include:
- Twists/bends
- Rust
- Tongue buckle movement ease
- Crooked/bent bars
- Damaged springs
- Cracks/breaks
- Rough/sharp edges
Remember: If a user sustains a fall, the harness used in the fall must be taken out of service, even if there is no visible damage.
Safety Harnesses Best Practices
Safety harnesses are critical in conjunction with other PPE to keep the user safe at work.
Replace harnesses as needed:
- If the harness is found to be defective, damaged, or excessively worn, remove it from service immediately.
- If the harness is subjected to in-service loading, such as a fall, remove it from service immediately.
- Harnesses must also be replaced according to the manufacturer’s instructions and timeline.
To wash the harness:
- Wipe the harness with warm water and mild soap.
- Rinse with warm water.
- Wipe the wet harness with a clean, dry cloth.
- Let it dry slowly at room temperature.
- Do not expose the wet harness to extreme temperatures, chemicals, or sunlight.
Store harnesses safely in separate, dry compartments or hang them so that they will not be crushed, worn, or creased.
Review the manufacturer’s information on the harness for additional safety information.