Fall Protection Harness Inspections: What to Look for and How to Ensure Safety

Fall protection harnesses are used in Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFASs) and Fall Restraint Systems (FRSs). While both of these systems utilize harnesses connected to a secure anchor point via either a lanyard or a lifeline, PFASs are designed to stop falls as they occur, while FRSs keep falls from happening in the first place.

Regardless of the intended use behind your harness, inspecting it frequently and properly is a crucial safety practice. In this article, we’ll explore exactly what to keep an eye out for during fall protection harness inspections, how frequently said inspections need to be conducted, and why performing proper inspections is so important.

Fall Protection Harness Inspections

What Is Included in a Fall Protection Harness Inspection?

Fall protection harness inspections often start with the manufacturer’s tag. Verify that the tag is securely affixed to the harness, and that the writing printed on the tag is legible.

Also check that the expected information is provided, including:

  • Date of manufacture
  • Name of the manufacturer
  • Serial and model numbers
  • Size of the harness

“Hardware” refers to the metal or plastic components of the harness, such as D-rings, buckles and adjusters, grommets, and even snap hooks (which are connected to the lanyard or lifeline, not the harness itself).

In general, hardware should be able to move freely, but should not be loose or wiggly. Make sure every piece of hardware is present and accounted for and then check for the following:

  • Bending
  • Breaking
  • Burns
  • Burrs
  • Corrosion
  • Cracks
  • Cuts
  • Damage, including chemical damage
  • Deep scratches
  • Deformation
  • Dents
  • Distortion
  • Grooves
  • Rough or sharp edges
  • Rust
  • Wear
  • Welding spatter

If the harness being inspected has quick-connect buckles, make sure they engage properly and then give both halves of the buckle a tug to make sure they won’t spontaneously disengage. Alternatively, if the buckles have tongues, confirm that the tongues overlap on the buckle’s frame and can move freely.

Finally, ensure that lanyard/lifeline snap hooks require two actions to open and lock properly.

Webbing is typically made of either nylon or polyester and refers to the main body of a harness.

To inspect webbing, follow these steps:

  1. Bend about 6–8 in. of the material into an inverted “U”
  2. Visually and physically the “U”
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the entirety of the harness

Check for signs of wear or damage by looking for the following:

  • Abrasions
  • Brittleness
  • Burns
  • Contact with corrosives, flames, chemicals, solvents, grease, oils, paints, or markers
  • Cuts
  • Crushed fabric
  • Discoloration or fading from UV exposure
  • Distortion
  • Foreign objects stuck on the fabric
  • Fraying
  • Holes
  • Hardness
  • Knots
  • Melting
  • Mildew
  • Mold
  • Soiling
  • Scorch marks
  • Rotting
  • Tears

Even things that may not seem like a big deal, such as grime or marker scribbles, can disqualify a harness from service, since substances can cause harm over time, so being thorough is important.

A portion of each harness will have “tattletale webbing,” which is also referred to as the load indicator. This part of the harness is made up of folds that will rip apart during a fall to reveal either brightly colored fibers or a tag instructing the inspector to remove the harness from service.

Make sure the entire harness is fully stitched and check for stitches that are:

  • Broken
  • Cut
  • Fraying
  • Loose
  • Missing
  • Pulled
  • Visibly damaged

Though not part of a harness itself, lanyards/lifelines can be included in fall protection harness inspections, since they are used together so frequently.

Both lanyards and lifelines can be used in PFASs, but they behave in different ways, both during normal movement and when experiencing a fall. Lanyards have a fixed-length (typically between 4–6 ft.) and function to reduce the force of a fall. Lifelines, on the other hand, will automatically extend and retract to accommodate regular movement, but will lock during a fall to shorten it.

If you are using a lanyard, you need only check its webbing and snap hooks. However, if you are using a lifeline, in addition to looking over both of those things, ensure that it allows for easy retraction and retention. Yank on the lifeline to verify that it will lock when needed.

How Often Should Fall Protection Harness Inspections Be Conducted?

There are three types of fall protection harness inspections:

  1. Initial: When a harness is first acquired, the end-user should confirm that it has no visible defects and is the correct size and model.
  2. Frequent: Before each use of a harness, the end-user must conduct a visual inspection.
  3. Periodic: As required by OSHA, detailed inspections should be performed by a competent person at least once every year. More frequent inspections may be necessary, depending on the frequency and severity of a harness’s use, as well as the environmental conditions it is regularly subjected to.

Why Are Fall Protection Harness Inspections Important?

Harnesses are a key component of a fall protection system and play a large role in preventing accidents—that is, assuming they are in working condition. The unfortunate reality is that faulty harnesses are pointless. That’s why fall protection harness inspections are so important.

By verifying that equipment is functional, inspections reduce the risk of accidents occurring and mitigate their negative consequences, including:

  • Costly equipment replacements
  • Injuries or deaths
  • Legal penalties
  • Non-compliance fines (inspections are required under OSHA 29 CFR 1910 and 1926)

Part of compliance is documenting certain information collected during annual inspections, such as:

  • Name of the manufacturer
  • Model and serial numbers of the harness
  • Date of manufacture
  • Date of inspection
  • Name and signature of inspector
  • Indication of whether harness passed or failed the inspection

The easiest way to collect and store fall protection harness inspection data is by using InspectNTrack, a safety asset inspection software. Not only does InspectNTrack simplify the process of performing inspections by allowing users to access inspections from any mobile device, it houses all data on a centralized platform, making data retrieval and report generation a breeze.

With InspectNTrack, each harness is paired with a unique identifier. While these identifiers are typically RFID tags, our software also works with barcodes and QR codes. Plus, InspectNTrack allows you to either attach an identifier yourself or use one provided by the harness’s manufacturer.

To learn the steps of conducting fall protection harness with RFID chips, see our article on how to Simplify Fall Protection Inspections With Software.

Regardless of the size of your organization and whether you are inspecting harnesses on their own or as part of a larger inspection program, InspectNTrack is the perfect fit for all your fall protection harness inspection needs!