All personal protective equipment (PPE) needs to fit the wearer correctly in order to properly protect them while working at height or in dangerous environments. If your safety gear, like your safety harness, doesn’t fit correctly, it can compromise your safety and lead to injury in the event of a fall.
So, if fit is crucial when it comes to safety harnesses, can they be shared among multiple users? This blog will unpack the pros, cons and best practices for sharing safety harnesses.
Risks of Sharing Safety Harnesses
Risk of Poor Fit
Safety harnesses need to fit the user properly for maximum safety. Sharing safety harnesses between workers increases the risk of the harness being fit incorrectly, which is not only uncomfortable for the user, but also means the harness could fail to provide proper support in the event of a fall.
Hygiene Concerns
Harnesses can harbour bacteria, pathogens and fungi, which when combined with sweating workers and challenging environments, can be extremely unhygienic and pose a risk to worker’s safety.
Inadequate Inspection
Safety harnesses should always be thoroughly inspected before each use. Sharing harnesses can result in workers not properly inspecting their equipment before passing it on to the next person, thus increasing the risk of unnoticed damage and potential equipment failures.
Time Constraints
When sharing a harness between multiple people, it will likely need to be fully inspected and readjusted for each individual wearer which can be time-consuming.
When Sharing Might Be Safe
While sharing harnesses is not generally recommended, it can be done as long as workers take the necessary precautions. For example, if the harness is cleaned and inspected thoroughly between uses, sharing may be possible for short-term use.
Some harnesses come with adjustable straps that allow them to fit a variety of body sizes, however, if multiple users need to wear the same harness, a significant amount of time should be taken to ensure the harness is adjusted properly before each use.
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While it’s not ideal, sharing safety harnesses can be done, however the risks often outweigh the benefits. In an ideal scenario, every worker should be responsible for inspecting and cleaning their own safety harness which is tailored to their body size and shape.
So, while it may be tempting to share safety harnesses, the best solution is to provide each worker with their own harness.
At Safety Harness Direct, we stock an extensive range of safety harnesses to keep you safe while working in a variety of different conditions.
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For more information about our safety harnesses, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and a member of our team will be happy to help!
