The statistics are alarming. In 2013, more than 36 percent of all work-related fatal incidents involved falls from heights. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) working at high elevations not only demands the wearing of such safety devices as the fall protection harness, it is a legal requirement. Nevertheless, employees and employers continue to ignore the dangerous risk of not complying.
The 20th Century
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, harnesses were not compulsory. In fact, construction workers on buildings, bridges and other structures did so without any form of protection at all. It was not until an adaptation of the telephone linemen’s body belts that they received their first protective device. In the 1920s and 1930s, few workers used them. The belts, while better than no protection at all, could be pulled off during a fall or cause serious spinal damages. In order for the belt to be effective, the worker had to fall properly.
By the 1940s, those in the manufacturing sector had begun to produce a safety harness that was more suitable for use. Based on the harnesses employed by military paratroopers, it was able to better able to handle the fall arrest forces weight forces, reducing physical damage. However, this new fall protection harness was awkward to put on and made from cumbersome material such as leather and cotton. Overall, many workers avoided wearing them because they were too heavy and uncomfortable.
During the period following the first step in the evolution of safety harnesses, companies received sufficient feedback from users. They took this and began to produce more practical and functional equipment. As the need for industrial safety equipment met the forces of the government safety regulations, significant changes began to take place in the design and manufacturing process or safety equipment. Form this were to arise different styles. Among them were two easy to use harnesses:
- Triangular style harnesses
- X-fit style harnesses
Companies began to look to recreation harnesses for design inspiration. The development of lighter, yet stronger and more durable material also had an impact upon safety harnesses. In 2001, a hybrid emerged – one based on input from engineers, ergonomic experts and recreational harness designs. Padding, soft edging and the use of comfortable and light material combined with the desirable capabilities of strength, durability and longevity to provide safety harnesses that complied with the regulations but also were easy to put on and comfortable to wear.
Fall Protection Harness
Yet, in spite of these newer models, many workers and employers eschew the wearing of safety harnesses. As a result, the numbers of fatalities continues to remain high. In most cases, the figures cited by OSHA could be lower or even nonexistent if the worker had only made the smart choice and worn a fall protection harness.