Fall protection, safety harness for work at height

Fall arrest equipment is a class 3 PPE (personal protective equipment protecting against serious or lethal risks) subject to regulation. It is composed of 3 inseparable elements: a safety harness, a connection system (fall arrest lanyard, self-retracting rewinder, lifeline) and an anchor point.

It is the most important element of fall protection. It consists of straps, buckles and other elements arranged so that it can be adjusted appropriately on the body of the person, to maintain it in case of fall while distributing the loads it generates.

It must be as comfortable as possible with the foam reinforcements in the legs and shoulders, this is an aspect that should not be neglected. wide straps with horizontal thighs are to be preferred because they are more comfortable for the user with less impact on the femoral artery in case of a fall.

Depending on the type of activity and the work environment, there are several types of safety harnesses that comply with current European fall protection standards.

It is a body gripping device intended to receive a possible fall and maintain the wearer in the best conditions while waiting for help. The anchor points are located in the sternal and dorsal position in case of a fall, the wearer remains in the most vertical position possible.

It is a 2 attachment point harness, so it is not suitable for work positioning, nor for work on suspended ropes.

The fall arrest and work positioning harness is designed to stop a fall thanks to the dorsal or sternal attachment points and the wearer will be supported on the 2 side attachment points to connect a work positioning lanyard and ensure the wearer better balance. 

This is a 4 point harness but in reality a 3 point harness because the two side hooks can’t be used separately.

The fall arrest, work positioning and suspension harness has all the anchorages of the previous one with, in addition, a ventral point for rescue and suspension. Is is a 5 point harness suitable for most interventions (fall arrest, work positioning, work in suspension, rescue) with the exception of rescue interventions in confined spaces (CATEC* measure).
*French Certificate of Ability to Work in Confined Spaces in the fields of drinking water and sanitation

The evacuation harness takes the basis of the 5-points harness with addition in addition 2 buckles on the shoulders allowing to lower a person into or out of a confined space. It is the most complete safety harness!

The binding and absorption system is used to connect the safety harness to the anchor point (energy absorbing lanyards, self-retracting reels rope slides, etc.). To a certain extent, it is like the safety belt of the fall protection system. There are 2 categories of connection devices:

• The fall restrain: it is a device that prevents operators from exposing themselves to danger. This kind of protection is intended to limit the user’s movement in order to prevent them from reaching areas where a fall can occur. It is not able to arrest a fall from a height and should not be confused with a fall arrest system, although it is implemented with components which may appear similar.
• The fall arrest: These systems are intended to allow a user to reach areas or positions where there is a risk of falling. They must therefore stop this fall if it occurs, and then ensure the suspension of the operator after the fall has been stopped. Below, the different fall arrest systems available:

This binding system is composed of a lanyard with a maximum length of 2m and 2 connectors. When used on a static anchor point, the lanyard must include an energy absorber.

The self-retracting rewinder - more commonly known as stop-fall - is used as a component in binding systems of the safety harness to a static anchor point. It is a better alternative to the lanyard with an energy absorber. It is a retractable lanyard wound on a drum with an automatic tension and return system, and an automatic locking function in case of a fall. It's the same principle as a seat belt!

Most reels are designed to operate in a vertical cone of 30° maximum below the anchor point which limits their conditions of use. They must comply with the EN 360 standard.

For each type of job, structure and industry, there are different types of anchor: tripods, strap buckles, anchor points for European standard I-beams, fixed eyelets, etc. All anchors must provide a secure attachment point - regardless of the support (steel, concrete, walls, roofs, etc.) and must be able to withstand the constraints of the fall protection system.

These devices are often permanently attached to a building (flat roofs, sloping roofs, facade, concrete beams, etc.) or to an infrastructure (machines, tracks, cranes, wind turbines, etc.). Combined with fall protection, they can be used as a safety system.

Anchorage devices can be designed as fall prevention retention solutions or as fall arrest systems. There are two main types of anchoring devices:

• Rigid anchor points: these are single anchor points with a single eyelet
• Mobile anchor points: these are lifelines or rail securing systems. The user attaches himself to it by using a slider or a fall arrest carriage. The user can then move freely on certain sections or along the entire length of the anchoring device.

The class 3 PPE - such as the fall protection equipment - corresponds to the equipment that protects against serious and lethal risks.

For obvious reasons of personal safety, they should be visually inspected before each use and a more detailed periodical check should be made at least once a year at an authorized service center.

Each verification takes into account different compliance criteria such as the proper functioning of the equipment, the general condition, the clarity of the marking and, in some cases, the expiration date of the product. The storage conditions are also examined.