How long is a safety harness valid for?

All work at height such as electrical installation and roofing works are risky activities. Thus, anyone carrying out a risky job must wear suitable protective equipment, in particular the safety harness.

In fact, it is personal protective equipment that effectively protects the worker from falling. However, like any other safety equipment, there is a time limit imposed by the manufacturer that must be taken into account.

Regulation of a safety harness when working at height

The main thing you need to consider and make clear to any employer is that any worker exposed to a fall of more than 3 meters must be equipped with a safety harness or Fall protection PPE.

Furthermore, you should follow a few rules for optimal use and security. Be aware that a safety harness is governed by the EN 813, EN 361 and EN 358 standards. On each product, you see its size, its class, the name of the manufacturer and supplier, the number of the SCA seal, its year of manufacture, its expiry date and the space to identify for whom it is intended.

On the component side, a safety harness must always be combined with a lanyard and an energy absorber or a winder-unwinder with an energy absorber. These elements contribute to the weakening of the fall of the worker and to the minimization of his injury if necessary.

Like any other personal protective equipment, the safety harness should not be worn by different people . What's more, each user must ensure the proper fit, necessary maintenance and level of deterioration of their Fall protection PPE.

What is the lifespan and validity of a safety harness?

The optimal lifespan of a safety harness depends on how often it is used. Its year of manufacture and its time of use are determined by the manufacturers and are displayed on its specific notice.

The traceability of the conditions of its use makes it possible to justify the implementation of the maintenance, monitoring of the use and maintenance in a state of conformity of the equipment in the company . It should be noted that its lifespan is not prolonged if it is used less. At the latest, it will be discarded after the expiry date indicated by the manufacturer and written on the equipment.

Admittedly, the storage time or maximum life of a harness is around five to ten years. However, it is the conditions of periodic checks and the actual conditions of use that define whether or not the equipment will be maintained until its expiry date.

Who can check and check the safety harness?

Before rushing to use your equipment, you should perform some visual inspection of the fall arrest system. Indeed, an annual periodic check is required by a competent person. It can be carried out either by the employee who has received training in equipment verification, or by the inspector of an accredited organization.

Several distributors of these safety harnesses provide a verification day each year during which you will have the opportunity to drop off your fall arrest PPE.

How to correctly put on and check a safety harness?

Anyone who undertakes work at height, whatever their working environment, must wear appropriate equipment. The safety harness is one of them. However, to work in peace, it must be used correctly. To do this:

• Disassemble knots, except vest type fall arrest equipment;
• Put the material on one of your forearms to check that all the buckles are open;
• If the equipment does not already fit your size, loosen the adjustable straps;
• Put on the shoulders;
• Close the sternal clip, thighs and belts;
• Go to adjusting the tension of the thighs and the upper part;
• Adjust all the tightenings to ensure better comfort.