HARNESS AND LANYARD INSPECTION
The use of a Harness and lanyard is a last resort to control fall risks when the need to work at height has been confirmed as essential and no other method of fall protection deemed suitable.
By it’s very nature the planned use of the equipment must be in a high risk situation and thus safe use is critical.
There are far too many instances in industry of supplying a harness to employees when “there is no other option” and this is normally carried out with no training, no assessment of the type of equipment to use and equally little or no thought give to what the lanyard will be attached to.
This approach can simply be sending an employee to his death.
There is no such thing as “a harness and lanyard”. The number of different types and sizes of harnesses, lanyards and connectors is so large that the number of combinations is impossible to determine, it is certainly hundreds.
The design the safe system of work, the selection of appropriate equipment and the assessment of reliable anchorage points (RAP’s) are all critical as is the need to train users.
Managers who instruct work at height must decide how the work is to be done and issue specific instructions on what equipment is to be used and how. It can not left by default to an employee to decide to use a harness and lanyard and equally as important, what to attach to.
IHS have a particular expertise concerning harness and lanyard applications, one of our directors was a former director of the largest installer of fall arrest equipment in the UK and represented the industry on the British Standard committee.
IHS are able to supply advice and training on:-
• Selection and specification of Reliable Anchorage Points (RAP’s)
• Selection, inspection and use of harness and lanyard systems
IHS provide a competent person 6 month inspection service for harness and lanyard products including independent certification. This is normally carried out by “post”, details on request.
