There are several British and European safety standards that can apply to safety harnesses. Here’s a quick primer.
SKIP TO...
What are EN standards?
EN standards are European standards set by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) or a related standardisation organisation. These standards apply to lots of different industries, including construction.
Here in the UK, we have BS EN standards. These are just British implementations of European standards from the British Standards Institution (BSI). British standards cannot conflict with EN standards, and each BS EN standard uses the same number as the corresponding EN standard.
For example, BS EN 361:2002 is the British implementation of EN 361:2002.
What is BS EN 361:2002?
BS EN 361:2002 is the British standard for full body harnesses. It is sometimes called just EN 361 (removing the British indicator and the year) for simplicity.
EN 361 specifically refers to ‘Personal protective equipment against falls from a height’ and outlines the requirements and test methods for full body safety harnesses. It also includes details on marking, packaging and manufacturer information.
At Safety Harness Direct, we offer a huge variety of full body harnesses, most of which are certified to EN 361. For some examples, check out this Kratos Safety Single Point Harness and this Orange Hi-Vis Safety Harness.
Full Body Harnesses
What is BS EN 1497:2007?
BS EN 1497:2007 (or EN 1497) is the safety harness standard for ‘Personal fall protection equipment – rescue harnesses’. Rescue harnesses are often designed for complex rescue tasks. These are different from normal restraint harnesses, and are only used in specific situations.
Like other EN standards, EN 1497 specifies required test methods and other details concerning these harnesses. According to CEN: “Rescue harnesses conforming to this European Standard are used as components of rescue systems, which are personal fall protection systems.”
We have a great selection of rescue harnesses on offer here at Safety Harness Direct, including the RIDGEGEAR Front & Rear D Rescue Harness which conforms to EN 1497:2007 as well as EN 361:2002.
Rescue Harnesses
What is BS EN 813:2024?
BS EN 813:2024 (or EN 813) is the standard for ‘Personal fall protection equipment – sit harnesses’ which refers to harnesses that you can sit in as part of a rope access, work positioning or restraint system. Sit harnesses certified to this standard are not intended to be used in fall arrest systems.
We offer a variety of sit harnesses that comply with the EN 813 standard. For example, our Heightec ECLIPSE Seat Rope Access Harness is EN 813 certified.
Sit Harnesses
More info on safety harness standards
We’ve now covered the three most common safety harness standards, but there are several others that are relevant to harnesses and working at height more generally. If you’re interested in learning more, check out BSI for British Standards or CEN for European Standards.
If you’re looking for a safety harness that is certified to a specific safety standard, there is a good chance that Safety Harness Direct has what you’re looking for. Browse our full range of safety harnesses by clicking the button below.
All Safety Harnesses
