Learn the five checks needed for a safety harness inspection as required by OSHA’s rules for fall protection PPE.
• Fall protection is everyone’s responsibility.
• OSHA requires that fall protection be provided any time someone is working at an elevation of 4 feet or higher in a manufacturing environment.
• Any time workers put on safety harnesses, they must perform a five-point safety inspection.
In this quick video, you will learn the five must-do safety checks that show you what to do before you put on a harness and the signs for when it’s time to replace it.
Often, shares MSC Safety Specialist Bruno Cunha, metalworking shops don’t realize that the fall protection requirements specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration begin at 4 feet in general industry workplaces. OSHA details the specifications for harnesses in OSHA Standard 1910.140 on Personal Fall Protection Systems.
“It doesn’t seem that high,” but manufacturing businesses must protect their workers from falls any time workers are elevated above 4 feet to do their jobs, Cunha says.
Cunha demonstrates the inspection technique using a Pro-Safe safety harness.
Find additional fall protection best practices in our video “4 Ways to Stop Falls from Height and Improve Fall Protection.”
We’re looking at one of our Pro-Safe fall protection harnesses.
Really, one of the critical components to putting on the harness is to make sure that everything is in line. So usually a good rule of thumb is grabbing it by the back D-ring, shaking it a couple of times, and you can see all your buckles are aligned.
Inspection of harnesses needs to happen every time the user puts these on. And they’re pretty basic:
· You’re looking at any loose stitching.
· Any rust or deterioration on any of the handles.
· You’re looking at the stress indicators. These items are here to show if the harness has experienced any type of impact. This will tear.
· Making sure all the regulations and the logbook are in play.
If any of these things are missing or compromised, the harness has to be put out of use.
