Lessons Learned: Full Body Harness Fit, Adjustment
A full body harness may require occasional adjustment to be worn correctly. Improper harness fit could result in greater injury during a fall arrest event.
Consider this DOE Lessons Learned regarding full body harness fit and adjustment: A worker was returning to the ground for a work break while wearing a loosely fitted full body harness as part of their personal fall arrest system.
Possible worker impacts from a loose-fitted or improperly fitted harness:
• Slip out of the harness from fall arrest forces
• Suffer severe bodily injury during a fall arrest due to shifting straps
• Strike a lower level due to the loose harness lengthening more than the planned required fall clearance
Tongue buckles and revolving adjusters hold well and require little to no adjustment during use. Conventional pass-through and quickconnect buckles may require occasional adjustment while the harness is worn.
What was learned from this full body harness lesson?
• Full body harnesses are engineered by size to distribute fall arrest forces into the body to minimize injury.
• Select the proper size harness according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• After the harness pre-use inspection, don the harness and adjust the straps per the manufacturer’s written instructions for a correct fit.
• Do not overtighten harness straps. They should be snug without obstructing blood flow.
• During the course of work, check the harness fit occasionally and adjust as necessary.
• The buckle or adjuster type may affect the frequency of adjustment.
Alert your coworker if you notice their harness needs an adjustment.
Content credit: DOE OPEXShare, “Full Body Harness Fit and Adjustment,” Lesson 40767, Publisher: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM (Sandia National Lab).
