Fall protection , fall arrest , safety harness

[funwithfuel]

I have been dodging this for a while. It looks like I'm gonna have to cave on this. I work in all environments. Scrap, building materials recycling, waste, dirt and mine sites. Safety Nazis are everywhere. I'm not against safety equipment. Just not familiar enough to be efficient or effective. ie, I'd be the guy who put it on wrong and hung himself. So for starters, what style, brand, type do you all find most forgiving while being safe and allowing you to still get work done.
I don't want this to be a sales pitch. I just want your personal unbiased opinions of what works for you. Then as this progresses, maybe we can discuss one brand over another.
Recently I had to work at height, had to borrow a harness. Guy who lent it to me was cool about it, just felt I should have had my own.
Thanks everyone in advance

 

[Twisted]

I prefer the ones that are more of a vest rather than all of the tangled straps.
They are easier to put on and that means they will get worn when needed. I had a hard time getting guys to wear the harnesses until I went to this style.

 

[funwithfuel]

So, something simple like this? Does it offer adequate protection? And in the event you do fall, what kinda bruising, pinching etc would you likely encounter

 

[crane operator]

I've spent some time in a harness, never needed it, thank goodness. When I put guys in the manbasket, sometimes they aren't familiar with a harness.

I always explain: "If its not tight, and you need it, it will get tight in a spot you really don't want it too".

I prefer the harnesses that have the big holes and belt buckle type adjusters, rather than the backpack style ones like in the harness in the picture. They are easier for me to adjust to different layers of clothing, and get it to fit right. They do tend to be a little more bulky, and the type you pictured will fit easier behind the pickup seat.

I also prefer the bigger snap catches, on the lanyard. The more like 5" size hook are much easier to slap around a angle iron or bracket. The little ones you have to wrap around something and rehook to itself, and its a pain.

Some lanyards also have "breakaway" extenders, that will slow you down before a dead stop. They basically stitch the fabric up in a layer, and the layers break away the stitching before you stop.

If you're doing a bunch of work up on a deck where you need to move around some, like on a crusher, sometimes a 10' yo yo is kind of handy. It allows you to place the yo yo and then have quite a bit of freedom in area without constantly repositioning your lanyard. It basically lets you move all around in a 20' area without moving your lanyard, but if it senses a fall, it locks. Kind of like a seat belt mechanism.

 

[Twisted]

It's been a long time but it was exofit brand or something. I would imagine protection is good. I'll leave the testing to the pros as I don't care to jump off of a perfectly good platform.
Our safety compliance went from less than 25% to over 98% because of comfortable, easy to use harnesses.

 

[funwithfuel]

Thanks guys, and this is what I'm talking about. Solid information from previous experience. And thanks crane op for explaining why you felt some things were more of an advantage over others. This is exactly what I was hoping for. With products ranging from $35 to over $400 , I would certainly take any info I can to make a better decision. Cuz, this is gonna be on my dime. I dont wanna trust my safety to a parts guy who's gonna get the cheapest junk he can find.

 

[funwithfuel]

Twisted, I'm diggin what yer shovelin. If it ain't easy to don, you don't use it. If you don't use it, it doesn't matter how much or how little it cost. I am gettin older and dont bounce back like I used to. I need to take ownership for my personal safety. Thanks for your input.

 

[crane operator]

In my area, the pawnshops and craigslist usually have all kinds of that stuff. Guys get a job that the general demands it, they get done with the project and it all goes to the pawnshop or craigslist. Just don't give new price for used stuff.

As long as there aren't any cuts or frays, or small burnt small black spots (from welding/torching) in the nylon, it will be fine.

Search safety harness in your local craigslist. Miller is a good reputable brand.

 

[Welder Dave]

I took a fall protection course but don't know if it's mandatory to take or not. The one thing that I don't think a lot of people know is that if you fall and have to use the harness and are hanging for any length of time, you can get suspension trauma. You need to get an adrenaline shot because the circulation is cut off in your legs and blood flow is reduced to the heart. A good option is to have trauma straps to put your feet in to take the weight off the straps around your legs. If you're able to put the trauma straps on after a fall, your way less likely to encounter suspension trauma which can be fatal. They say 30 minutes is the limit you should be hanging.

 

[funwithfuel]

I have seen some locally for reasonable prices. I thought purchasing used fall arrest was akin to purchasing used rubbers. They may have worked once but do you wanna chance that they'll work for you. I dont know this to be a hard fast rule, but it is what I've been told. Sorry to be vulgar but that's exactly how it was laid out for me. Also why I felt weird for using another man's rig.

 

[funwithfuel]

I took a fall protection course but don't know if it's mandatory to take or not. The one thing that I don't think a lot of people know is that if you fall and have to use the harness and are hanging for any length of time, you can get suspension trauma. You need to get an adrenaline shot because the circulation is cut off in your legs and blood flow is reduced to the heart. A good option is to have trauma straps to put your feet in to take the weight off the straps around your legs. If you're able to put the trauma straps on after a fall, your way less likely to encounter suspension trauma which can be fatal. They say 30 minutes is the limit you should be hanging.

I've heard of the trauma in MSHA 46/48 training, did not know there was a 30 minute window.i was informed that lack of blood flow would be similar to having turniquet on each leg explaining the wide straps. Spreading the load. I'm learning more and more. Thanks for the valuable information. I'm thinking I should find a class myself.

 

[crane operator]

With products ranging from $35 to over $400 , I would certainly take any info I can to make a better decision. Cuz, this is gonna be on my dime.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/tls/d/3-miller-safety-harness/6428273381.html

$25 apiece, two are still in the bag. Miller. Can't go wrong there. Kind of funny he wants 125 for all three, but only $25 apiece, but I don't do his math.

After any rig has been put on once, its used. I always bring two from the shop with me to manbasket jobs, quite often the customer will forget theirs, and I hate sitting around with the crane and not working because someone forgot their harness. I don't think I've actually ever bought a new harness. (I'm kind of tight like that)

It really no different than the nylon rigging I use on the crane, as long as its in good shape, I use it. We don't use new rigging for every pick.

I'm not suggesting putting on any old piece of junk from 1967, but if you look it over good, there's nothing wrong with putting on a used harness. I'd wear a used harness long before I'd go without, if you need it.



Also: The guys who wear it all day every day will have the huge back and shoulder pads, especially if they have big tool bags. I find that kind of bulky for most work .

 

[Twisted]

I was told in my training that anything over 10 minutes can kill ya. The blood clots at the pressure points then the clot gets released when pressure is removed.
I've been out of the business for a few years now so my info is a bit rusty.

 

[funwithfuel]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/tls/d/3-miller-safety-harness/6428273381.html

$25 apiece, two are still in the bag. Miller. Can't go wrong there. Kind of funny he wants 125 for all three, but only $25 apiece, but I don't do his math.

After any rig has been put on once, its used. I always bring two from the shop with me to manbasket jobs, quite often the customer will forget theirs, and I hate sitting around with the crane and not working because someone forgot their harness. I don't think I've actually ever bought a new harness. (I'm kind of tight like that)

It really no different than the nylon rigging I use on the crane, as long as its in good shape, I use it. We don't use new rigging for every pick.

I'm not suggesting putting on any old piece of junk from 1967, but if you look it over good, there's nothing wrong with putting on a used harness. I'd wear a used harness long before I'd go without, if you need it.



Also: The guys who wear it all day every day will have the huge back and shoulder pads, especially if they have big tool bags. I find that kind of bulky for most work .

Saw that exact ad this morning and had to lol. I think I'll be giving this mathematician a ring tomorrow. I remember somebody telling me if the seams ain't stretched, they're good to go. I am just not confident in my ability to inspect as I am kinda ignorant to the product.

 

[Welder Dave]

Basically if a harness physically looks in good shape and has no cuts, burns or other damage it can be used. Another thing that is important when harnesses are used is to have a rescue plan in place before starting the work not panicking wondering what to do if someone should fall. Here is an article on the suspension trauma.

https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2017/01/01/Suspension-Trauma.aspx?Page=1

 

[funwithfuel]

That was informative. Thanks a ton for sharing this information. One more thing I need to learn more about.

 

[catman13]

I have the VEST stile harness at work, it is fast and easy to put on and has pockets for parts or tools ,,, the lanyard is another thing, are you working high above the ground or close to it ,with the break away lanyard that slows your fall you need to have enough distance for it to do its job or you will hit the ground. you may want to get the retractable one or a fixed length one. IF you buy used check it closely for damage, and some things have a take out of service date on them.

 

[funwithfuel]

Heights vary, just like anything else. I'm leaning towards one of them auto slack things mentioned by crane operator. Mobility with safety. I'm getting one helluva education in the process with everyones input.

 

[old-iron-habit]

I was going to post a very similar article to what Welder Dave posted. The thing to remember is that there is not a 30 minute window to get the person down. As stated in the article hanging in a harness can be fatal in 30 minutes. Serious issues including possible amputation can occur a whole lot sooner. The key is to get a person down as soon as possible. 5 to 10 minutes can cause issues in a lot of people. A site safety plan would detail on what would take place to accomplish that. It also depends on how hard they hit the harness and in what position. In most falls bouncing off items is not uncommon due to the unfortunate person not being in the perfect spot when they fall.
I believe all protection harnesses now must have a shock absorbing lanyard per OSHA. A non shocked lanyard can only be used for positioning or as a limiting device. It can not be used for fall protection. In any event if a fall happens and a person ended up suspended in a harness make sure they get to a hospital right away. There have been fatalities when a blood clot occurred later and the person could have survived had they been in a medical facility and treated for possible blood clots.
Another thing is to wear the harness properly. Snug per the directions. There was at least one fatality that a person with loose hanging leg straps fell and collapsed right out of the harness slipping down and out backwards.
Finally, I applaud you for making the right decision to protect yourself. Good trades people are becoming harder to find. Good luck and have a safe year.

 

[Welder Dave]

There's a variety of different lanyards from retractable, shock absorbing and different types of attaching them too.