Full Body Harness: Design Process, Main Parts & Advantages
Often, the only thing separating you from death or severe harm is proper fall protection. Selecting the appropriate full body harness for both you and your team is essential for complete safety. You can choose the best fall protection equipment if you know how it’s made and how to utilize it. This equipment will prevent mishaps, keep your business in compliance, and improve the working environment for all employees.
Full body harness
When it comes to working at heights, full-body harnesses need to be the primary option because they provide:
- Freedom to roam about in order to do their task.
- All body components, including the hips, legs, chest, and shoulders, are supported by the safety harness sections.
- A full-body harness supports the shoulders, hips, chest, and upper legs by combining the functions of a sit harness with a chest harness.
What is the design process for full body harnesses?
There are a few standard characteristics that all full body harness should have while examining their designs:
Robust webbing, often made of polyester or nylon.
- Attach one or two D-rings to the worker’s fall arrest lanyard.
- Straps may be adjusted for a tight and comfortable fit.
- A maximum weight. Although Magus International also tests a variety of harnesses with a 140kg rigid test mass, EN361 demands testing with a 100kg rigid mass test mass.
Full body harness main parts
A safety harness system’s main parts are as follows:
- Straps: The waistband and many straps of safety harnesses are made of a variety of fabric kinds and webbing that are sewed together.
- For basic systems, typical materials include polyester and nylon; for specific purposes, textiles like Kevlar®, Nomex®, and Dyneema® are used. Maximum comfort and functionality are achieved by the padding sewed into the straps, especially in the shoulder area.
- Buckles: To secure the harness system around the worker’s body, the straps employ buckles. Spring tension, tongue, and rapid connection buckles are common varieties. Each worker’s weight may be accommodated by the completely adjustable straps and buckles, which also provide comfort while working.
- Attachment points: Various plastic or forged metal attachment points are sewed into the webbing of the harness. The particular harness type and its intended use determine where these points are located.
- A D-ring on the system’s back, grommets on the waistband, and keepers to store unused lanyards are a few examples of connection locations.
What is the ideal height for wearing a safety harness?
Anytime there is a chance of falling, a harness should be worn. The kind of harness and the right subsystems to finish the fall arrest system will be decided by a thorough risk assessment.
Advantages of full body harness
There are several advantages to using a harness for work at heights that are centered on safety and risk mitigation. Here are a few main advantages:
Fall protection:
To avoid falls from heights, it is important to wear a well fitted full body harness and lanyard. In the event of a fall, the swing distance will be shortened by employing suitable anchoring points that should be placed above the worker.
This reduces the possibility of severe injuries or fatalities by serving as a barrier to prevent the worker from colliding with any machinery or structures.
Enhanced Stability:
To keep a person balanced and steady when working at heights, hence improving job completion performance.
The tension and anxiety of falling from a height can be lessened by adjusting the straps on a harness such that they fit snugly and centrally around the body. Workers are able to keep control over their motions because of this consistency.
Hands-Free Operation:
When working at heights, employees may operate with their hands free thanks to the numerous connection points that harnesses frequently feature for tools and equipment. This function increases output and makes it possible to do difficult jobs that call for two hands. Additionally, it eliminates the possibility that a worker may injure someone on the ground if a tool were to unintentionally drop out of their hands.
Impact force distribution:
To disperse the pressures applied to the body during a fall, the body harness straps are placed around the shoulders, chest, waist, and shoulders. Wearing your harness improperly might cause serious damage and suspension trauma as the forces will be directed to a weak spot on your body.
Psychological Comfort:
Wearing a full body harness that fits properly—not too tight or too loose—can give employees comfort and confidence when working at heights, particularly at difficult angles when you don’t want the harness’s material to limit their range of motion.
Prioritizing a worker’s comfort is crucial to enhancing their general well-being since psychological discomfort can affect focus and concentration.
Respect for Safety Regulations:
According to the 2005 Work at Height Regulations, employees must be capable and trained in using the proper equipment, preventing falls, and minimizing the distance and effects of falls in order to prevent injuries. Employers and employees can avoid penalties and comply with health and safety standards by putting in place a fall protection system.
How Often Do Climbers Use Full Body Harnesses?
Except for young children, complete body harnesses aren’t really that prevalent these days when it comes to climbing.
As more people in the (now) smaller demographics—such as pregnant women, people with disabilities, and people with bigger bodies—go climbing in the future, gyms and the climbing community as a whole will see a rise in the usage of full body harnesses by adults. Everyone can feel safer and more at ease in that area with the use of full body harnesses.
Conclusion
Magus International offers fall protection equipment. Does your trade or workforce require fall prevention equipment? One of the top providers of personal safety gear Magus International .
If you would like more information about our safety harnesses or any other services we offer, please contact us by email or by phone.
To learn more about our whole line of goods and services, view the Magus International instead.
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