Once professionals realized the damage that body belts can cause, a new solution was required. The full body harness was introduced. These harnesses are comprised of straps that are worn over the shoulders, around the legs, and sometimes around the waist. The lifeline is attached to a back – or front – D-Ring. Because the straps encompass the whole torso, if a fall occurs, all the arresting forces will be distributed more evenly across the body and limit the trauma on just one focused arrest area.
Full body harnesses come in a variety of designs and each one is suited to a different work environment.
Nowadays, body belts are used strictly for positioning purposes. There are only a few niche industries that are allowed safely to incorporate these belts into their safety plan. One acceptable example of positioning belt use is for a line worker or someone on a telephone pole.
If you’ve somehow avoided the requirements of upgrading from a body belt to a full body harness for fall arrest purposes, you should act quickly. Remove all belts from service in your fall arrest system and immediately replace them with OSHA compliant full body harnesses.
At Malta Dynamics, we have created a library of fall protection resources for you to use and share with your employees. Complete with customizable fall protection plans, hazard assessments, rescue plans, and inspection forms for all the components of your personal fall protection system. Download all your essential safety resources here.
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