Types of leash
Safety harnesses
A harness is an element of a harness that protects a worker from falling from a height by holding his body with wrapping straps, that is, an unforeseen breakdown using a harness becomes relatively safe for the employee.
All harnesses are equipped with shoulder and hip straps that cover the legs and chest, respectively. In addition to the straps, the design includes a fastening element located in the chest area in front or behind, depending on the purpose of the leash and the type of work being done.
If the harness is used for positioning in the workplace, then its design must additionally include a waist sash, to which the harness is attached.
Positioning sling
The harness for positioning the worker in a fixed position is usually a waist harness equipped with strong attachments to the harness and a buckle for adjusting the size. The belt has a wide lining for more comfortable use. Such harnesses should not be used if there is a risk of a worker falling off a height, since one belt element is not enough to safely stop a fall.
Restraining leash
The restraining harness (or safety belt) is designed to restrict the movement of the worker in order to prevent him from entering the danger zone, can be used as positioning and is prohibited for use as insurance against falling from a height.
The main element of the harness is a wide belt with a buckle that allows you to adjust its size, and a lining (sash). The belt is securely connected to the safety lanyard with the help of two fastening elements. Also, the restraint harness can include shoulder and hip straps.
Sitting harness
Sitting harnesses are elements that are used for the convenience of working in a seated position, including in an unsupported space, as well as for the convenience of working in restraint systems with a low attachment point. This type of harness can be supplemented with an integrated seat for more comfortable work in long-term hovering mode. This design can have chest straps and be part of a full body harness, but is not an independent component of the full body harness.
Specialized leash
In difficult and dangerous working conditions, specialized harnesses are used, which have distinctive properties aimed at working in specific conditions.
Fire-resistant harnesses are made of heat-resistant tape and are designed to work in the immediate vicinity of an ignition source, open fire, hot splashes or sparks. Such models can be used for welding, electrical work, in the metallurgical industry, etc. Some models may have a harness extension on the back to be used in conjunction with a harness.
Another example of a specialized harness is an intrinsically safe body harness used when working in explosive environments.The harness is impregnated with a special oil-and-petrol-resistant solution that prevents fire. Such harnesses are used both at height and in confined spaces, and can be used in the oil, gas, and mining industries.
Species overview
Each full body harness has its own factory marking and a detailed description of the operation. Depending on the complexity of the model, the equipment consists of certain components.
Shoulder straps - located on the shoulders, covering the chest and back, firmly attached to the wide belt.
Safety harnesses differ in their purpose of use - it can be protection against an unexpected fall, which is performed using a shock absorber, and there is also equipment that allows the worker to carry out work for a long time in a sitting position at a high altitude. According to its design, associated with the number of body fixation points, the harness is subdivided into the following options.
Single point
A single point harness restraint harness is a slider type structure consisting of a full body harness, slider, shock absorber and an anchor linear mechanism. With this type of attachment, the fall arrest system moves along the anchor line, following the movements of the person. In the event of a sudden fall, the system automatically locks in and stops the movement process.
The harness attachment point is on your back or chest. Hip and shoulder straps are not provided in this case. This type of belay device is used when climbing stairs to a certain point in height, to perform roofing work at low heights, as well as to work with surfaces that have a small angle of inclination.
Point-to-point
This is a more reliable type of safety restraint harness, which makes it possible to fasten any type of structure that serves to stop the process of a sharp fall down - for this purpose, slings with a shock-absorbing system, individual retracting-type means, slider-type clamps, and so on are used.
The harnesses always have shoulder straps and straps to wrap around the legs.
Three-point
The restraint harness has three sling attachment elements. There are two types of three-point harness. In one case, the fasteners are a belt and shoulder elements with fastening elements located on the belt. In the second case, the harness is designed for arboristics and looks like a belt with hip straps. Both types of harness have the function of limiting the movement of the worker, protecting him from the risk of falling from a height. The harness is used in conjunction with an anchor system, which provides a stop during a fall.
Four-point
This type of construction is referred to as a full body harness. The four-point design can be either with one element for attaching the sling, or with two such elements. The design has shoulder and hip straps, on the back and on the chest there is a fastener for a belay line and restraint from falling. In a design with two attachment elements, a sling attachment element is provided, which consists of two additional loops.
Five-point
This is the safest version of a fall arrest harness used to belay an employee from a fall from a great height.
It includes a belt, shoulder and hip straps, there are 2 attachment elements for the sling for belaying and holding, as well as lanyard attachment element, intended for the device for lifting and lowering purposes. Five-point equipment is used for a narrow segment of work in the field of industrial mountaineering.
Requirements
The belay system used to provide protection against falls from a height is regulated by GOST R EN 361-2008, according to which there are requirements for the design of equipment.
Materials for manufacturing - use homogeneous or multifilament synthetic tapes and threads for sewing them, capable of withstanding a mass several times greater than the weight of an adult. The tensile strength of the material must be at least 0.6 N / tex. When sewing, threads are used that are contrasting, different from the color of the ribbons - this is necessary for visual control of the integrity of the line.
The harness has straps for placement on the shoulders and legs in the hip area. These straps should not change their position and loosen on their own. In order to fix them, special fasteners are used. The width of the main straps of the safety structure is made at least 4 cm, and the auxiliary ones - from 2 cm.
The attachment elements intended for braking the free fall of a person must be placed above the center of gravity - in the chest, back, and also on both shoulders.
Fastening buckles are designed to be fastened using only one correct method, excluding other options.
Increased requirements are imposed on their strength.
All metal fittings are subject to anti-corrosion requirements.
Safety equipment markings and all texts must be in the language of the country for which these products are intended.
The marking contains a pictogram that draws attention to the importance of this information, the letter "A" at the attachment points of the elements necessary to stop a fall, a sign of the type or model of the product, and the standard number.
Safety equipment items must be accompanied by detailed instructions for use, which indicate the method of donning, operating conditions, characteristics for the anchor point and attachment points for other elements. The safety equipment is marked with the manufacturer's stamp, in addition, it contains information about the date of issue, since the shelf life of such a protective equipment is no more than 5 years.
Terms of use
There are strict guidelines for the use of all of these harness belay systems. They are included in the general rules on labor protection, are clearly regulated, and if they are violated, large fines are imposed.
These rules contain such clauses.
- Work carried out at a height of more than 1.8 m is considered high-rise and is associated with the danger of falling. Therefore, they are compulsory for the supply of life-saving appliances.
- Only persons with special training and certified training are allowed to work.
- The safety systems must be systematically checked, the frequency of checks is set by the manufacturer, and he also sets the expiration date and the maximum possible service life of this uniform.
- It is forbidden to use separately mounting belts without other necessary harnesses that are responsible for belaying, positioning the body in the air, holding, as well as for a sitting position, for working in wells, on the roof, in the mountains or in industrial mountaineering and any other types of harnesses that are required in this type of work. Without additional straps, high-altitude work is life-threatening, the risk of breaking your spine or falling out with a sharp jerk increases.
- The belay system must necessarily include an anchor mechanism, all the necessary harnesses, as well as the entire connecting and shock-absorbing subsystem, which includes such parts as slings, all kinds of carabiners, shock absorbers, ropes and slide or retractable protective equipment. This should work as a whole.
Any harness used must meet the requirements indicated below:
- ensure safety when stopping a fall;
- the ability to put on and adjust the leash to fit the height and size of the person;
- the presence of elements to create comfort, such as wide sashes or special seating devices;
- availability of breakdown indicators for timely disposal, as well as permanent permanent marking of the rescue harness.
The following video talks about the rescue harness.
How to choose a full body harness
Choosing a joint venture should be guided by the following factors:
- Purpose - will work be carried out using open fire, if yes, then the material for the joint venture must be certified for non-flammability.
- Frequency of use - whether long-term use or short-term use. In the first case, you need to choose models with an integrated seat and additional loops for fixing the tool or consumables. This will make work at height better and faster.
- Place of work - at what height and indoors or outdoors. The length of the safety rope, the presence of additional straps for the auxiliary tool and additional shock absorbers depend on this.
- Budget - the cost of a joint venture, if all models have safety and quality certificates, ranges from 5 to 25 thousand rubles. In each case, it all depends on the configuration and additional functions (for example, non-combustibility or an integrated seat).
Having weighed well each of the four factors, you need to make a decision about buying a particular model of the joint venture. But, in any case, it must be certified, since the preservation of the health and life of the employee is always in the first place.
The procedure for passing periodic inspections of PPE from falling from a height
If, during an inspection of your enterprise, the Labor or other Inspectorate discovers PPE that has not been certified or that have not passed a periodic inspection, and even more so the lack of necessary PPE, then this threatens with serious consequences.
Competent person
The competent person according to GOST R EN 365–2010 must be "Familiar with the current requirements for periodic inspections, recommendations and instructions issued by the manufacturer in relation to the corresponding component, subsystem or system"
... And in the same paragraph in the note it is indicated that“A competent person may require training by the manufacturer or his authorized representative on a particular PPE or other equipment due to, for example, the novelty or complexity of the latter, or if knowledge is required to disassemble, reassemble or evaluate PPE or other equipment, which are decisive for safety; there may also be a need for training due to modifications and modifications. " Interesting: How much lottery winnings do you need to pay tax on?
There are certain rules governing how often the paving means should be inspected. If you do not want to deal with these issues on your own, our center can take over this work.