Safety Harnesses are one of the best pieces of equipment that you can use to keep yourself and your co-workers safe on site.
Your safety gear will look after you as long as you look after it, which often begs the question, how do you take care of your safety gear? And how often should a safety harness be inspected?
How to Maintain Your Safety Gear:
One: Store It Correctly
Like any tools, your safety equipment needs to be stored correctly. Keep away from damp as that can be massively damaging and cause rapid deterioration of the webbing and materials.
Two: Treat It with Respect
Working in environments where safety equipment is used, it’s bound to get battered around a fair bit. That said, when possible, you should try to avoid unnecessary damage to your equipment. Part of maintenance also includes cleaning your safety harness and equipment regularly. Soap the harness with warm water, and gently lather the straps. Rinse using clean water, wipe it down and hang it to drip dry away from direct heat sources.
Three: Check it Regularly
It’s important to regularly check the condition of your safety equipment regularly. Catching a problem quickly leaves room for repair before the damage gets too bad. If repair isn’t an option, you can act quickly and order a replacement safety harness as soon as possible. Regularly checking your safety equipment also prevents something worse than damaged equipment: loss of life.
If you’re interested in finding out more about PPE rules and regulations within the UK, take a minute to look over this PPE at Work safety guide from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE PPE Guide
How Often Should a Safety Harness Be Inspected?
Formally, HSE guidelines recommend that your safety harnesses should be inspected by a professional every 6 months. But how often you actually inspect your harnesses is up to you.
We would recommend doing a thorough inspection every two weeks, but it’s always prudent to check your safety harness over before you intend to use it. In fact, check all of your safety equipment before working at height. What you might find in a 30-second glance over could save your life.
More information about the inspection and maintenance of harnesses can be found in this handy PDF guide from HSE (Health and Safety Executive).
Safety Harness Inspection Guide
If you’re ready to purchase new safety harnesses, we can help. Here at Safety Harness Direct, we offer a wide range of safety harnesses that are both reliable and affordable.
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