How to use a five-point safety harness for working at heights

Working at height is widely used in various sectors of construction and industry, which makes the importance of using safety equipment impossible to ignore. As an effective personal protective equipment (PPE), the five-point safety harness will surely provide the necessary protection for workers when working at height. Below, Shanghai C&G Safety will introduce in detail the use, function, selection and maintenance of five-point safety belts and many other aspects to help you better grasp the safety tips. The use of five-point safety belt for working at height mainly includes the following steps:

1. Check the safety belt

Hold the D-ring buckle (or called terrain ring, connecting ring) of the back liner of the safety belt and make sure that the webbing is not twisted together.

Check for cracks in the nylon straps, firmness at the stitching, and missing, cracked and rusted metal parts.

Read the label to confirm that the size is appropriate.

2. Wearing the safety belt

Slide the harness over your arms to both shoulders to ensure that all webbing is untangled and hangs freely. The shoulder straps must be kept vertical and not close to the centre of the body.

Buckle the chest strap, making sure it is 15 cm below the shoulders and crosses over the middle of the chest, about 3 finger widths away from the bottom of the sternum. The extra length of webbing is threaded into the adjustment loops.

Buckle the waistband, which should be tied above the maximum hip circumference to ensure comfort and stability.

Buckle the leg straps from the back of each leg forward, ensuring that the height of the leg webbing is just below the hips. Take the back leg band from the rear with one hand and send it forward from the present to the other hand to catch and fasten through the front buckle opening. Buckle the second leg strap in the same way.

3. adjust the safety belt

Adjust the full body webbing from the shoulders, making sure that the back D-ring is located between the two shoulder blades.

Try doing a single-leg forward stretch and a half squat, and adjust the length of the leg straps on both sides so that they are the same and comfortable.

Re-check the chest webbing to ensure it is correctly positioned and tight.

4. Attaching the safety harness

Use the hook on one end of the safety harness to attach to the D-ring (or terrain ring) on the back of the harness.

Attach to the lifeline through the safety hook on the other end to ensure a secure connection.

Ask your partner to help check and make sure that the latch between the safety rope and the harness is locked to prevent accidental disengagement.

5. Precautions for Use

The safety belt should be hung high and used low, and prevent swinging and collision, avoid sharp substances, and not contact with open flames.

The hooks and loops of the safety belt should be firmly hung on the tie-down point during operation.

When using the safety belt in a low-temperature environment, attention should be paid to preventing the safety belt from hardening and cutting.

Frequently used safety ropes should be frequently inspected for appearance and replaced with new ropes in time when abnormalities occur.

The safety belt should not be used in knots, so as to prevent the safety rope from disconnecting from the knot when an impact occurs.

After two years of use, the safety belt should be sampled according to the batch purchase and the necessary tests should be carried out. No rupture can continue to use, substandard products will not continue to use.

Safety belts should be stored in dry, ventilated warehouses, and should not be exposed to high temperatures, open flames, strong acids, strong alkalis and sharp hard objects.

Various parts on the safety belt shall not be removed arbitrarily. When replacing the new parts, the fittings that meet the standard should be selected.

The use period of the safety belt is 3~5 years, and any abnormality found should be scrapped in advance. In the process of use, it should be tested once in half a year to one year to ensure that the main parts are not damaged.

Following the above steps and precautions can ensure the correct use of five-point safety belts when working at height, thus guaranteeing the safety of operators.