Basic Fall Arrest Harnesses

Fall arrest harnesses are designed specifically to be used as part of a fall arrest system designed to reduce the forces on the user and anchor point in the event of a fall from height. 1 point fall arrest harnesses have one attachment point either on the front (sternal) or the back (dorsal), marked with a capital letter “A”, which are the only locations where a fall arrest device should be attached. The attachment points can be either soft webbing eyes or more typically metal D rings. 2 point harnesses will have both a front and a rear attachment point. The choice of attachment point will depend upon comfort (will the fall arrest device be continually bashing the user in the face?), practicality (will the fall arrest device always be in the way when the user is working, or will it get covered in grime or paint if it is in front of them?), autonomy (can the user install the fall arrest device without the help of a co-worker?), and finally, consideration must be given to the position a user will find themselves if they take a fall (when suspended from the rear / dorsal attachment point, there is pressure on the abdomen and breathing can be affected. Self-recovery is also near on impossible).