Write a toolbox talk on checking your safety harness

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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division Oregon Administrative Rules - (4) Caution statements on critical use limitations; - (5) Limits of the system; - (6) Proper hook-up, anchoring and tie-off techniques, including the proper D-ring or other attachment point to use on the body harness; - (7) Proper climbing techniques; - (8) Methods of inspection, use, cleaning, and storage; and - (9) Specific lifelines that may be used. - (g) Inspection considerations. Personal fall protection systems must be inspected before initial use in each work shift. Any component with damage, such as a cut, tear, abrasion, mold, or evidence of undue stretching, an alteration or addition that might affect its effectiveness, damage due to deterioration, fire, acid, or other corrosive damage, distorted hooks or faulty hook springs, tongues that are unfitted to the shoulder of buckles, loose or damaged mountings, nonfunctioning parts, or wear, or internal deterioration must be removed from service immediately, and should be tagged or marked as unusable, or destroyed. Any personal fall protection system, including components, subjected to impact loading must be removed from service immediately and not used until a competent person inspects the system and determines that it is not damaged and is safe to use for personal fall protection. - (h) Rescue considerations. As required by 1910.140(c)(21), when personal fall arrest systems are used, special consideration must be given to rescuing an employee promptly should a fall occur. The availability of rescue personnel, ladders, or other rescue equipment needs to be evaluated since there may be instances in which employees cannot self-rescue (e.g., employee unconscious or seriously injured). In some situations, equipment allowing employees to rescue themselves after the fall has been arrested may be desirable, such as devices that have descent capability. - (i) Tie-off considerations. Employers and employees should at all times be aware that…

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## Accessory equipment ## Safety equipment Read the pages at the beginning of the manual. An independant safety line must be used by each person working on the scaffold. Each person must wear an approved safety harness equipped with a lanyard connected to a rope grab device. Full body harness is recommended because of its ability to withstand greater shock without injury. ## Independent safety line If the scaffold has a fixed roof or if using multi-level scaffolds, an independent safety line must be attached to the scaffold hoist units. Each person should wear a safety harness with a lanyard connected to a trolley line. Secure trolley line to the chain guard at each work basket. <!-- image --> - 1. Rig a 5/16-in. wire rope the length of the complete travel of the scaffold at the same place as the suspension line. Do not rig to the same rigging as the suspension line. - 2. Attach the Secondary Safety Line Bracket Assembly (008478-1) to the transfer chain area (the steel guard bracket below the top wire rope guide assembly) of the Spider hoist unit per the instructions provided with the assembly. ## Harness - · Inspect the harness material. Hold the belt in an inverted 'U' with the body side toward the body and hands 6-in. apart. Inspect the entire length, looking for frayed edges, broken fibers, pulled stitches, cuts, or chemical damage. Broken strands appear as tufts on the webbing surface. Broken, cut or burned stitches are easily seen. - · Inspect buckles and D-rings. Make sure both are firmly attached to the belt. Rivets should be tight and rigid and bases and burrs should be flat against the material. Bent rivets will fail under stress. Inspect condition of Dring rivets and metal wear pads. Discolored, split, or cracked rivets indicate chemical corrosion. Buckle tongues should be undamaged, overlap the buckle frame, and move freely back and forth. The roller - should turn freely on the frame. Look for sharp edges. On friction buckles, make sure outer and…

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\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ lanyards, connectors, lifelines, deceleration devices, and body harnesses to be interchanged since some components wear out before others. The employer and employee should realize that not all components are interchangeable. For instance, a lanyard should not be connected between a body harness and a deceleration device of the self-retracting type since this can result in additional free fall for which the system was not designed. Any substitution or change to a personal fall arrest system should be fully evaluated or tested by a competent person to determine that it meets the standard, before the modified system is put in use. - (4) Employee training considerations. Thorough employee training in the selection and use of personal fall arrest systems is imperative. As stated in the standard, before the equipment is used, employees must be trained in the safe use of the system. This should include the following: Application limits; proper anchoring and tie-off techniques; estimation of free fall distance, including determination of deceleration distance, and total fall distance to prevent striking a lower level; methods of use; and inspection and storage of the system. Careless or improper use of the equipment can result in serious injury or death. Employers and employees should become familiar with the material in this Appendix, as well as manufacturer's recommendations, before a system is used. Of uppermost importance is the reduction in strength caused by certain tie-offs (such as using knots, tying around sharp edges, etc.) and maximum permitted free fall distance. Also, to be stressed are the importance of inspections prior to use, the limitations of the equipment, and unique conditions at the worksite which may be important in determining the t…

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## OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, 2020 S-15.1 REG 10 - (b) is constructed of: - (i) nylon, polyester or polypropylene rope or webbing; or - (ii) wire rope that is equipped with an approved shock absorbing device; - (c) is equipped with suitable snap hooks; and - (d) is approved and maintained. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 s7-19. ## Workers' responsibilities re lifelines, etc. - 7-20 (1) Before using a lifeline or lanyard, a worker shall ensure that the lifeline or lanyard: - (a) is free of imperfections, knots and splices, other than end terminations; - (b) is protected by padding where the lifeline or lanyard passes over sharp edges; and - (c) is protected from heat, flame or abrasive or corrosive materials during use. - (2) Before using a vertical lifeline, a worker shall ensure that: - (a) the lower end extends to the ground or to a safe landing; and - (b) the lifeline is protected at the lower end to ensure that the line cannot be fouled by any equipment. - (3) Before using a full-body harness, a worker shall ensure that the full-body harness: - (a) is properly adjusted to fit the worker securely; and - (b) subject to subsection 18-9(5), is attached by means of a connecting linkage to a fixed anchor or a lifeline. - (4) A worker who uses a full-body harness and connecting linkage shall ensure that the connecting linkage is attached to a personal fall arrest system, lifeline or a fixed anchor. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 s7-20. ## Inspection of full body harness, etc. - 7-21 (1) If the use of a connecting linkage, personal fall arrest system, full-body harness or lifeline is required by these regulations, an employer or contractor shall ensure that a competent person: - (a) inspects the connecting linkage, personal fall arrest system, full-body harness or lifeline: - (i) as recommended by the manufacturer; and - (ii) after the connecting linkage, personal fall arrest system, full-body harness or lifeline has sustained a fall-arresting incident; …