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SAFETY HARNESS CHECKLIST
BENEFITS
Falls from heights are a far too common safety incident. Such falls can be prevented with the use of appropriate fall protection. But personal fall protection equipment, such as fall arrest harnesses and the like, is only effective if workers actually use them—and use them correctly.
HOW TO USE THE TOOL
Adapt this handout for the fall protection requirements in your jurisdiction’s OHS laws and the specific type of safety harnesses that you use. Require supervisors to complete this checklist each time a worker is required to use a safety harness to ensure that the worker has the appropriate equipment and is using it correctly. If the answer to any of the questions in the checklist is “No,” that deficiency must be corrected before the worker is permitted to work using the safety harness.
OTHER RESOURCES:
IHSA
Fall Hazards: Complying with the Hierarchy of Fall Protection Equipment
Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Checklist; Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Checklist #2
Fall Hazards: Does Your Workplace Need a Fall Protection Plan?
Fall Protection Plan Template
SAFETY HARNESS CHECKLIST
In every case where a worker is required to wear a safety harness as required by law for his/her protection, you must check the following:
YES / NO1. Has the worker inspected his/her CSA approved body harness and lanyard before use as per enclosed inspection and maintenance procedure?
2. Is the worker wearing the harness properly?
3. Has the worker been assigned a shock-absorbing lanyard for his/her own use?
4. Has the worker been assigned an approved travel restraint or life line rope for his/her own use?
5. Does the worker have his/her own rope grab?
6. Does the worker have his/her own life line/travel restraint anchored to a solid and approved anchor?
7. Does the worker have his/her rope grab attached to the rope and positioned in the right direction?
8. Does the worker have his/her lanyard properly attached to the rope grab and to the center D-Ring on the back of the harness?
9. Does the worker have the rope grab positioned to restrict him/her from being within 300mm from any edge, and/or is the rope grab positioned on the vertical life line above the worker to restrict the length of the fall to 0.6 metres?
If all the answers to all these questions are not “Yes,” STOP until they are!
Worker’s name:______
Supervisor:______
Date:______
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