9 STEPS: TO PUTTING A HARNESS ON CORRECTLY
Putting a harness on is something every rope access technician learns on the first day of their level one training. And even though all technicians will put a harness on most of their working days, many of them do it incorrectly. Doing so can be uncomfortable, make it harder to work, and cause injury.
Let's look at how to put a harness on correctly:
- Do a visual inspection of the harness, check the stitching, look for cuts or any other damage. Make sure the harness is the right size for you.
- Ensure none of the straps are tangled, and they are loosed sufficiently. Not doing so from the beginning can cause issues later on.
- With the harness laid out on the ground, step into it, between the shoulder straps (Some manufacturers suggest putting the shoulder straps to one side then later lifting them over your head, but this can be challenging for taller people.) *
- Pull the harness up above your waist and bend forward so that it rests on your lower back. Tighten the waist belt pulling each strap equally, making sure it sits just above your hip bones.
- Tighten the leg loops enough to just be able to slide four fingers between your leg and the strap. If your leg loop has a buckle, ensure it is not twisted. A twisted leg loop buckle can sit in a very uncomfortable position. There have been some horrible accidents, particularly for guys, caused by loose leg loop straps.
- Ask someone to help you adjust the rear of the chest harness. Make sure you do this before adjusting the front. The rear D (Dorsal) ring should be between the shoulder blades, and not too high up the back. This is a very common mistake, even amongst experienced technicians.
- Tighten the front of the chest strap, and make sure the rear D ring is still in the correct position.
- Do not overtighten the rear leg risers. Doing so will prevent you from being able to move your leg loops to alleviate strap compression while hanging on the ropes.
- As soon as you are in the natural sitting position on the rope, tighten your chest strap some more. A slack chest ascender can make climbing very difficult. This is a very common mistake for new technicians to make.
* Always follow manufacturers’ instructions
DO THIS:
NOT THIS:
NOT THIS:
