What is a safety harness

A safety harness is personal protective equipment designed to protect a person from falls and injuries at work or other activities involving heights. It consists of a series of adjustable straps that are placed around the user’s body, such as the shoulders, chest and waist, and are designed to support the user’s weight in the event of a fall.

What is a fall arrest harness used for?

A fall arrest harness is often used primarily as a fall arrest device but can also be used for suspension and positioning work.

It is connected to a secure anchorage system by means of a latching device, which is used to secure the user in place and prevent them from falling. Anchorages may include a horizontal or vertical lifeline, a fixed anchorage point or a portable anchorage.

Components of a harness

1. Front D-ring: Fall arrest point. Located in the front area of the harness for controlled ascent and descent activities at heights.
2. Dorsal D-ring: Fall arrest point. A lanyard or lanyard with energy absorber or a restraint lanyard can be connected to this ring located at the back of the harness to limit the worker’s movement.
3. Espalier padded: Padded fabric to increase comfort and ergonomics in shoulders and back.
4. Belt Positioning: Padded fabric to increase comfort and ergonomics in the waist and lumbar area.
5. Connector union: Triple self-locking carabiner that connects the upper and lower part of the harness.
6. Ring ventral: Ventral suspension point for belay and restraint activities.
7. Rings positioning: Located on the side areas of the belt to support the user’s weight when the user performs activities at heights and is hands-free.
8. Holder Ring tools: Ring for hanging tools.
9. Buckle regulation: These allow the length of the belts to be adjusted and adapted to the user’s measurements.
10. Belt loops: plastic parts to collect excess webbing or to block the webbing in the adjustment buckles.
11. Leg padded: Padded fabric to increase comfort and ergonomics around the thighs.

How to fit a safety harness correctly

At what height should a safety harness be used?

A harness should be used whenever there is a risk of falling. A proper risk assessment will determine the type of harness and the appropriate subsystems to complete the fall arrest system.

What types of harness exist

There are several types of safety harnesses to suit different needs and work situations:

• Full body fall arrest harness: This is the most common type of safety harness and is designed to protect the entire body, including the shoulders, chest, waist and legs. It is used for work at height where there is a risk of falling. Some of climax’s full body fall arrest harnesses are:
  

  See 10 basic plus harness	See 21-C ignífugo	See atlas harness	See veleta harness	See maxipro dieléctrico

View the full catalogue of full body fall arrest harnesses.

• Seat harness: Seat harnesses are used in restraint, securing and rope access systems where a low attachment point is required. Seat harnesses are not suitable for use for the purpose of fall arrest.

See atlas tree basic harness

• Rescue harness: This type of safety harness is designed for use in rescue and evacuation situations. It is equipped with rescue rings and additional straps to enable a worker to be safely rescued in an emergency.

See atlas rescue harness

• Positioning harness: This type of safety harness incorporates a positioning belt and is used for jobs where the worker needs to be in a specific position, such as welding or painting. It allows the user to position himself safely and comfortably while working.
  

  See atlas plus harness	See rota confort plus	See atlas tree integral	See veleta plus harness	See maxipro plus harness

• Sport harness: This type of harness is designed for use in mountaineering and climbing activities. These harnesses can be full harnesses (TYPE A), small full harnesses (TYPE B, up to 40kg weight), pelvic harnesses (TYPE C) or chest harnesses (TYPE D).
  

What regulations must a safety harness comply with?

Safety harnesses are considered Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Each type of harness must meet a specific standard.

A full body fall arrest harness must comply with EN 361. These harnesses have built-in attachment points to the fall arrest system and are usually located on the back and chest. They are the only harnesses that can be used in a fall arrest system.
A seat harness must comply with EN 813. These harnesses are used in restraint, lanyard and rope access systems where a low attachment point, also called a ventral attachment point, is required.
In addition, a fall arrest harness may incorporate a positioning belt. Therefore, this harness shall also comply with EN 358.
A rescue harness must comply with EN 1497. It is common for a rescue harness to also comply with EN 361. In this case, it is the fall arrest attachment points that can also be used as rescue points.
A sports harness must comply with EN 12277. Depending on the type of harness, tests are carried out on the chest, back or belly anchorage points.

How many kg a harness can support

All applicable harness regulations only provide for tests up to a maximum weight of 100kg. Therefore, 100kg should be understood as the maximum permissible load in all cases.

It is common for a harness to have a higher resistance capacity than the regulatory tests and trials. In this sense, it is usual to carry out additional tests to check the real maximum loads.

Productos Clímax has the ATLAS RESCUE harness, which is a fall arrest harness according to EN 361, and also complies with EN 1497 as a rescue harness. It also incorporates a ventral anchorage point according to EN 813 and a positioning belt according to EN 358. This harness is certified for a maximum load of 140kg.

It is important to choose the right type of safety harness for the specific task and to ensure that it is correctly fitted and connected to a secure anchorage system.