What are the safety harness regulations?

When should a safety harness be worn?

Among personal protective equipment, the use of safety harnesses remains one of the best means of protection. The employer must provide compliant harnesses to his employees. A harness can be used by combining a lanyard, a retractor and an energy absorber.

When Working at Height and to Avoid Falls

Rescuers, rope access technicians, pruners, etc. always use safety harnesses. Their trades are related to height, suspension and movement on the ropes. To avoid any danger or in the event of a fall, these PPE are essential.

How high for a harness?

From one meter and over, wearing safety harnesses is required. It is mandatory when the height is greater than or equal to 3 meters.

How to put on a safety harness?

Any employee working in the installation or building sector must take training in the wearing and use of harnesses. Likewise, access and positioning techniques using ropes are required.

A safety harness is generally provided with a system of dorsal, sternal and leg straps. It is then attached to the security system by connectors on the anchor points. In some cases and for some models, the use of a carrycot complements its use.

In all cases, its use must be preceded by training.

Is a safety harness individual?

A safety harness is personal protective equipment (PPE). Therefore, a worker uses a harness for himself to protect himself and limit the risk of falls.

Using and wearing the safety harness

A safety harness has a dorsal attachment point. The equipment must be worn on the back with the dorsal attachment. Then you have to adjust the straps at the level of the torso and the legs.

How long does a safety harness last?

The lifespan of a safety harness and its effectiveness depend greatly on the quality of manufacture and the materials used. Some harnesses are ultra-resistant, made to last between 5 and 10 years. For a harness to be durable, the design of the equipment must follow certain regulations.

Standards and Legislation: EN 361, EN 358 or EN355

It is important to use harnesses that comply with regulations. The EN 358 standard determines the requirements for work positioning harnesses. This mainly concerns work positioning belts and lanyards.

Regarding gripping devices, the EN 361 standard regulates fall arrest harnesses. The EN 363 standard governs fall arrest systems.

European standard EN 813 is applied for safety harnesses with leg straps and belts with side and sternal hooks.

Inspection, verification, Fixing

A compliant harness should be fairly resistant to chemicals and weather. Equipment should be thoroughly inspected and checked before and after each use.

Checking equipment

Verification is in order. It is recommended for the user and the employer to verify the compliance of the PPE. The main characteristics of compliant harnesses must also be checked and monitored. It's all about size, weight, comfort and anchor points.

Safety harness inspection

For safety harnesses to last over time, they must be taken care of, both during transport and storage. It is then necessary to regularly and meticulously inspect all the equipment:

• Hardware;
• Seams;
• The labels;
• Strap materials, etc.

Defective hardware should always be replaced. If in doubt, refer to the manufacturer and remove the equipment from any use.