If you or someone you care about works in a construction site this safety harness information guide is for you. There are many different types of safety harnesses made for fall protection, but some work much better than others. Workers falling from a height position is the main cause of fatalities in the construction industry.

Major injuries consist of slipping, tripping, and falling. A full body safety harness serves as an active fall arrest system. The harness is designed to prevent these catastrophic injuries and fatalities. The full body safety harness has two purposes. 

  1. The safety harness distributes the force from the fall across the worker’s body in a free fall event.
  2. The safety harness provides enough body movement freedom so the worker can perform his job effectively.

It’s worth getting to know which what type and how a full body safety harness best suits you or someone you care about working in construction. 

Safety Harness

When you are wearing a full body harness, you will have built into it the following:

  • A sit harness which gives your hips and thighs support
  • A chest harness which gives your shoulders and chest support

Also, the full body safety harness design is for helping your torso stay upright in case you do slip, fall, or trip. There are six features you want to look for in a full body safety harness. They are as follows:

  1. Belts which have quick-connect buckles
  2. Padding
  3. Webbing
  4. Weight
  5. Safety Accessories
  6. All the features of the harness integrate

To better understand what the full body safety harness can do for you, the six features will be broken down by what they do and why they are essential to the harness’ functionality.

#1 – Belts Which Have Quick-Connect Buckles

The full body safety harness will have a long portion of the leg straps dangling behind you. If you pull the dangling straps and adjust their length, you will be able to bring the straps between your legs. Once the straps are the appropriate length, and in the right place on your body, you can connect the quick-connect buckle to the other end of each strap.

Quick connect buckles are called the fall limiter. The buckles are called fall limiters because the buckles are attached to a self-retracting lifeline with a quick-acting braking system. By using the quick-acting braking system you end your free fall and can land safely.

The portion of the safety harness which has the leg and chest straps have interlock systems for a user-friendly dual-tab release similar to safety belts in cars or airplanes. The dual-tab release is to help prevent any accidental openings

#2 – Padding in Your Full Body Safety Harness

Every company needs to make sure their workers have the right equipment to do their job. The company also needs to make sure the worker can do their job safely and with full protection from falls or other safety hazards. Training on full body safety harnesses also needs to be provided.

The training is important because no matter how good the quick-connect buckle or how much a cushion the padding provides, it’s only as good as the way it is used. The belt and padding on the full body safety harness are there to provide additional lumbar support.

The belt and padding also provide a place to position the rings and carry tools. Workers who have shoulder straps with padding have improved comfort. The padding is designed to help disburse your weight more evenly.

#3 – Webbing in Your Full Body Safety Harness

The safety harness is at its best for being a vital piece of protective equipment when it contains a rope, quick-connect buckles, a cable, and webbing. Webbing technology changes all the time. Webbing dictates how well the harness performs in many instances.

Harnesses can have webbings which are heat-resistant, paint-resistant, or liquid-resistant. It depends on what type of work you are doing, but many safety harnesses now have ergonomic details built into them. These ergonomic details allow for body freedom to perform your work safely and efficiently.

#4 – The Weight in Your Full Body Safety Harness

Every full body harness can be different but the rule of thumb is most safety harnesses are meant to prevent a full arrest even in the 130-310 pound range. If you have a standard full body safety harness it keeps the forces on your body below the 1800 pound limit in a full fall event.

People make a big difference in the effectiveness of safety in body harnesses. Because harnesses come in varied sizes. Since every worker is a unique weight and height, it is vital each worker receive the correct harness according to their weight and height need.

#5 – Safety Accessories

All full body safety harnesses need to have accessories like web lanyards, safety arm straps, retractable safety cables, multi-purpose material, and more. There is no end to all the safety accessories you can add to your full body safety harness. You do need to be careful you don’t add so many accessories you cannot access the protective gear components as they were meant to appear and function.

#6 – All Full-Body Safety Features Need to Integrate Together

The success of any full-body safety harness needs to be fitted correctly with all parts integrating to work in its most efficient or effective manner. Every full body safety harness needs to have the following features integrate:

  • A rear or dorsal D-ring
  • A front chest strap 
  • A lanyard is a finished length of flexible material
  • Critical fall arrest system
  • Keeper for a lanyard
  • Harness webbing and can be made of stamped or forged metal, or plastic.
  • Vertical fall protection systems allow for a guided fall arrester and other safety features

The full body safety harness can have every safety accessory known, but it means nothing if it’s not being used correctly by the worker. 

Your Next Step

You now know all the functions of a full body safety harness. There is nothing more vital to the safety of your workers than making sure they have the right equipment when and if they need it. Always make sure you give adequate training, supplies, and equipment to your workers.

If you need any industrial safety supplies or hardware, reach out to us, and we will procure what you need. Everything we offer is easy to access, order and receive. It doesn’t matter how established you are, creating a safe space for employees doesn’t require a lot of expensive safety training.

It only requires a company that cares about its workers.