On a typical day, a lineman may need to climb or use a bucket lift to haul himself up to heights that would make most people weak at the knee. Being afraid of heights or at least a little nervous about them is normal. The best way to overcome the fear or anxiety, though, is to have confidence in your fall protection gear.
Whether you’re new to utility work or a grizzled vet, a correctly sized and inspected full-body harness is the only way to face a day’s high expectations. Falls happen. So, take your fall protection gear seriously. We’ll help you with the information below. Buckle up.
The essential components of fall protection.
Fall protection equipment is precisely what it sounds like. Parts and components that make up a complete system that prevents one misstep from turning into a disaster. Each piece is designed and manufactured to work together to keep your body from meeting the pavement. They’re like good friends. They have your back, and well, your front and legs, too. Let’s meet them:
Full-body harness: This is the big one. Mandated by OSHA, the full-body harness must be worn when working above heights of six feet. The purpose of the full-body harness is to distribute the force of a fall evenly across your chest, thighs, waist, shoulders, and pelvis. There are three primary design styles: H, X, and Y. H is considered a “universal” design, but the style you choose depends on the type of work you’ll be doing. Tallman carries the primary three full-body harness styles, manufactured by Buckingham, which you can explore here.
Lanyard: A flexible rope or strap that connects your body harness to an anchttps://dev-tallmanequipment.codupstaging.com/product-category/fall-protection/full-body-harness/hor, lifeline, or deceleration device.
Dual Lanyard: If safety regulations or the job site require you to be continually attached to a structure from the ground up, you’ll want to clip in with a dual lanyard.
Lifeline: Your personal fall arrest system wouldn’t be complete without a flexible rope, your lifeline, that connects to your harness and keeps you above ground.
Anchors: An anchor (or anchorage) is a secure point where you can attach lanyards, lifelines, or deceleration devices.
These are just a few of the many fall protection components available. For more information, check out Tallman’s fall arrest equipment.
How to Properly size, adjust and inspect your full body harness.
A lineman’s full-body harness is one of the most critical pieces of safety equipment he or she will use on the job. Making sure it is the right size and fit is essential to getting the most out of it. Follow the 4 steps below to help you safely step into your harness with confidence.
Step 1: Sizing
The very first step to properly sizing your harness is to get your chest size. Wrap a tape measure around the fullest part of your chest. Make sure it is level and not drooping in the back. The tape should be snug, not tight. Do not puff your chest, hold your breath, or wear a thick sweatshirt or clothing. Where the tape measure intersects is your measurement. Use a harness sizing chart, such as Buckingham’s, to find your size.
Step 2: Inspection
Inspect your harness before every use. Be sure to inspect it visually as well as with touch. You could easily overlook harness damage but discover it with your fingers. Do not rush the inspection, but try to turn it into a routine where you follow the same steps and process each time. Use the following checklist as a guide:
| Webbing | Buckles and Hardware |
| ▢ Cuts, Kinks, Cracks
▢ Abrasions ▢ Holes ▢ Excessive Wear ▢ Discoloration ▢ Chest strap Hook & Loop have sufficient adhesion ▢ Burns or Charring ▢ Loose or Broken Stitching ▢ Heavy Fraying ▢ Chemical Exposure ▢ Loose, Cut, or Missing Stitching ▢ Evidence of Shock Load to Harness |
▢ Broken, Bent, Cracks, Nicks
▢ Moderate to Severe Rust or Corrosion ▢ Quick Connect Buckles Operate ▢ Deformed or Bent Grommets ▢ Bent Tongues on Buckle ▢ Deformed Holes ▢ Hook and Loop do not adhere |
Of course, this list isn’t all-inclusive, but it’s close. Depending on your harness style, you might have more or fewer inspection points as well as different signs of wear and tear.
Step 3: Wearing the Harness
Pick up your harness by the fall arrest attachment or D-Ring and give it a good shake, so all the shoulder, leg, and chest straps fall free and into place. Unbuckle the leg straps if they are buckled.
Slipping on an “H” style harness is similar to putting on a shirt or jacket. Slip your arms through each hole one at a time. Position it on the shoulders with the D-ring or fall arrest attachment resting between your shoulder blades on your upper back. Make sure the straps are not twisted. Go ahead and attach the chest strap loosely for now, so the harness doesn’t slip off.
An “X” style harness is slightly different. Hold the straps in the right hand and slip over your right shoulder. Let the right strap rest on the right shoulder and move the left strap over your head, so it rests on your left shoulder. Attach the right-side straps. Again, the fall arrest attachment should rest in the middle of your upper back. The front attachment should rest just at the bottom of your sternum or about four inches below your armpits.
You can choose from several leg strap options, including harnesses equipped with interlocking buckles, quick connect buckles, and tongue buckles. All of these are easy to use and obvious on how to adjust. However, the thing to remember is to make sure the leg straps are never twisted when attached.
Step 4: Adjustments
Again, depending on your harness style and leg straps, there will be a couple of different methods to properly fitting your harness. We won’t go over all the ways here. When you buy a Buckingham harness from Tallman, you’ll receive the manufacturer’s instructions on correctly sizing and adjusting your specific full-body harness. To learn more, check out this helpful harness sizing and inspection video from Buckingham.
When adjusting your full body harness or fall protection equipment, the key takeaway is to make sure it fits snug and comfortable but not loose. And make sure all of your straps are straight and not twisted.
For the best tools for linemen, trust Tallman.
Whether you need an H, X, or Y full-body harness or fall protection anchors and lanyards, you can count on the Tallman Equipment Company for only the very best quality. For years, linemen have turned to Tallman to help them rise high in their careers and get them home safely at the end of the day. So check us out today, and see how we can help you stand tall with Tallman.
