Inspecting Your Safety Harness: A Vital Step for Working Safely at Heights
Working at heights can be a thrilling and challenging job, but safety should always come first. No matter how experienced you are, it’s crucial to ensure the reliability of your safety harness. Faulty equipment can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities. At Link Resources, we understand the importance of working safely at heights training and have a thorough understanding of how to properly inspect your safety harness.
Why Inspect Your Safety Harness?
Before we dive into the inspection process, let’s understand why it’s essential. Safety harnesses are personal protective equipment (PPE), and like any PPE, they must be checked regularly. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
Visual and Tactile Inspections:
- Label: The label on your safety harness should include essential information such as the serial number, manufacturing date and relevant standards. Ensure this label is intact and legible.
- Webbing: Check the webbing for signs of wear, damage or fraying. Look out for cracks or loose stitching as well as any fading, which may indicate compromised fibres.
- D-Rings: Inspect D-rings for distortion, rust, or signs of fatigue. They should pivot freely without any hindrance.
- Buckles: Make sure all buckles have tight rivets and aren’t bent, chipped, or sharp. Check that stitching around the buckles is secure.
- Straps and Rope: Examine straps for fraying or broken fibres. Pay attention to the clips on straps and ensure there is no loose stitching.
- Plastic Loops: Look for cracked, damaged, or broken plastic loops.
Once you’ve completed these inspections and are satisfied with the condition of each part, your safety harness should be ready for use.
Additional Safety Harness Checks
- Ultraviolet Damage: Exposure to UV rays can weaken a safety harness. Look for signs of flaking or colour discolouration on the harness surface. Chemical damage, like burring and fibres with a glazed appearance, can also compromise strength.
- Contamination: The work environment can lead to dirt accumulation, causing excessive abrasion, both internally and externally. Ensure thorough cleaning and proper storage to maintain equipment integrity.
- Worker Competency: The person wearing the safety harness plays a crucial role. No matter how good the equipment is, if the worker isn’t competent, accidents are more likely. Workers should apply their training when inspecting and using their safety harnesses.
By following these inspection steps, you significantly reduce the risk of accidents when working at heights.
Gain Essential Skills with Link Resources
At Link Resources, we’re dedicated to ensuring workplace safety through training. Find about more about our working at heights and confined spaces training courses and apply today.