People who are working at heights deal with the issue of falls as the major sources of fatalities and injuries. People who are at most risk of falls are those who use ladders and climb up fragile surfaces like roofs. Around the world, thousands of workers go through mild to major injuries because of falls associated with working at heights. Unfortunately, there is also the common occurrence of deaths from falls. Safety is of great importance when it comes to people who are working at heights such as yourself or someone you know.
If you are working at heights, there are ways in which you can be sure of the safety of your workers. Generally, proper inspection and planning of the job site are carried out. Using adequate and functional personal protective equipment is also vital. The use of fall protection safety harnesses is one of the most common personal protective equipment options for people at risk of falling. Unluckily, you will find plenty of workers who don’t give that much importance to the use of construction safety harnesses. Some only give value to its importance after falling from heights and are still lucky enough to live.
Personal fall arrest systems are used for falls with construction safety harness as an important part of the system. In case of a fall, the use of this equipment helps the user maintain a suspended upright position. You also get proper support from them as you wait for rescue to arrive. Using a full body safety harness is crucial in any fall restraint system. It makes employees avoid reaching places on site that makes them probable for falling. Using body belts only as construction safety harnesses is not a good call. When falls happen and you only have this belt as you safety harness, the forces will be directed at your abdomen. When you use a full body harness, however, you can expect that these forces will be distributed evenly throughout your body. As you fall, you get the benefit of minimizing the occurrences of minor and major injuries.
Though safety is something that you can expect from the use of fall protection safety harnesses, the purpose will be defeated if you don’t wear them properly. While there are different types of safety harness, there are general guidelines that you can follow to ensure proper wearing of harnesses.
First, hold the harness through the back D-ring and shake it so that all straps will be at their rightful place. When you have buckled waist, leg, and chest straps, you should unbuckle them first by releasing the straps. You then slip the proper straps over your shoulders. Between your shoulder blades in the middle of your back, you will find how the D-ring is properly positioned. Before connecting the leg strap to the opposite end, make sure to pull it between your legs. Do the same thing for the other leg. If your construction safety harness comes with a belt, this is the time to connect it to the waist strap.