While the fit and comfort of your safety harness are essential, the most important thing is safety. That’s why before even stepping into your harness, you must always inspect it to ensure that it can be relied upon.
It is vital that safety harnesses are regularly inspected by a competent person who is fully trained and authorised by the manufacturer. It’s also a good idea for all staff to regularly inspect their safety harnesses in addition to these official checks.
When carrying out a visual safety harness inspection, you must check the following components:
- Manufacturer label
- Hardware (buckles, D-rings and plastic loops)
- Software (webbing, straps and rope)
Check the label
The first thing you need to be aware of is if there were any reported issues in the previous inspection. If so, check these issues have been rectified or retire the harness if the issues cannot be fixed.
If there weren’t any previous issues, the next thing to check is the manufacturer label. The label on your harness should feature the following information:
- an individual serial number
- a valid inspection date
If the date of the last formal inspection is outside the agreed interval period, the harness is not safe to use until it has been fully inspected and given the all-clear.
All safety harnesses will also have a life expectancy, so you’ll need to look at the manufacturer date to check it hasn’t expired.
Check the hardware
The rear D-ring must be inspected for any signs of wear and tear, including:
You should also look at the buckles. Make sure they fasten as normal and don’t feature any cracks or distortion.
Check the software
First, connect the buckles, making sure the straps aren’t twisted, and hold up the harness out directly in front of you to check that it hangs evenly.
Look out for any fraying or cuts in the webbing. Top tip: pinching the material and running it through your fingers will help to catch any small tears.
Also check for signs of chemical damage, this could look like strange stains or if the harness material feels hardened or brittle.
If any of the above are visible on your safety harness, do not use it. If your safety harness is damaged or has expired, you can purchase high-quality, heavy-duty safety harnesses here at Safety Harness Direct! Click the link below to browse our harnesses or get in touch to discuss your purchase with a member of our team – we’re happy to advise you on the right safety harness for you.
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