ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Harnesses can cause death

Yes, thanks for posting this info. I referred to this when a 3rd grader asked what happens to the body to make it faint, as a girl in glee club had fainted onstage earlier in the day. The kids also wear a similar harness at our local YMCA to do their rock climbing stuff so it also became more interesting to them.

I was thinking that there must be an effort somewhere to design a safer mechanism to prevent falls without endangering blood flow, don't you think?

Bren,
Thanks for your input, mate.
If there was going to be a new design for this sort of harness, I'd like to see one where the body's wieght was more evenly distributed over the whole device.
Picture this:
A full body suit that has even attachments all over the suit itself, sort of like a wet-suit, but of breathable materials, and with an inner layer of very strong but light-wieght materials that could hold multiple anchors, the more anchors you have, the smaller they would have to be.
Just a thought!.

Mike — Were you thinking of something like
the S200 series at www.ekmansafety.com/prod03A.html (scroll down)

[Looks like they might be OK except for hot weather periods.]

Bump

The full body harnesses used in rock climbing may also cause that problem.

However, the normal, or sit harnesses used by climbers that already have developed hips will not cause fainting or death nearly as easily. When coupled with a chest harness, they can be very comfortable, but will not be up to safety codes for workers.

ctardi,
Thanks for your comments mate.
My Faults truck has two ladders on a Gantry system that I keep outside each night.
I have managed to slip off the ladder early in the morning due to ice on the rungs, while wearing a pole belt.
Now so far, I have been able to get back onto the ladder rungs.
Now,
Any pole belt that could concievably restrict the blood flow to the lower legs (bearing in mind that there is a major artery running down both of your legs) should be banned.
Because even if you are rescued in time, you run the risk of poisoning from acids accumulated from the lack of blood flow, culminating in Toxic Shock syndrome when the person is released from the said harness.
I like the one that mainly just sits around my backside, without other support.
I'm still wearing it to this day, it hasn't done me any harm.
Your thoughts guys?.

It is extremly hard to design a harness for both fall arrest, and work placement. Doing some work for a Rock Climbing gym, (not electrical), I spend a LOT of time in a harness. I use a climbing harness, as it is ok with WCB for what i'm doing.

A challange for the people here would be to come up with a harness that does not restrict blood flow.

Now, for the ladder, one thing you could do is use a lanyard that is no longer than your arms, so that you can reach to pull yourself back up, but that restricts your working space.

For work positioning, while still using a WCB (OSHA for you guys?) harness, perhaps a bausins (spelling?) seat would work. Basically just a simple seat, kinda like a swing, that has a rope clamp on it, can go on your main line. I spent about $150 US on a harness that is padded and comfortable enough that I can hang in for an hour or more at a time, but it won't work with WCB for an exectrician.

Now, I don't know what design of harness you are using, perhaps you could post a link or photo of it? But, if you are stuck hanging in it, stay calm, and stay moving. You can also take some pressure of your legs occasionally by moving around, almost going into an upside down position so that your sholder straps are taking alot of the force.

If you are low enough and have a safe landing, it is even an option to cut your lifeline if nothing else will work for you. (You look better if you don't tell anyone what you had to do. ).

Just some thoughts...