1. Working at Height
Safety Harness Inspection
Compiled by
Rudi Nieuwoudt

2. Working at Heights
Safety Harness Inspections
Safety harnesses and lanyards limit the distance of a fall, but do not eliminate
them.
Safety Harnesses are no substitute for effective fall protection measures. This will
include a working platform that has been certified safe with guardrails, toe boards,
no unprotected openings, etc.
Pre-use inspections must be done by the user before using the safety harness.
Identifying by inspection, lanyards that are safe to use could save your life!

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Working at Heights
Harness Webbing - Beginning at one end, hold
the body side of the harness towards you,
grasp the belt with your hands +- 20cm apart
and bend the strap into an inverted U. Follow
this procedure the entire length of the harness.
Watch for frayed edges, broken fibers, pulled
stitches, cuts, or chemical damage.
Steel Connectors and Fittings - Special
attention should be given to the attachment of
buckles and D-rings to webbing. Note any
unusual wear, frayed or cut fibers, or distortion
of the buckles or D-rings.
Inspection Method - Harness

4. Working at Heights
Tongue Buckle - Buckle tongues should be
free of distortion. The outer bars and center
bars must be straight. Pay special attention
to corners and attachment points of the
center bar.
Friction Buckle - Inspect buckle frame and
sliding bar for cracks, distortion, or sharp edges.
Quick-Connect Buckles - Inspect the buckle for
distortion. The outer bars and center bars must be
straight. Make sure dual-tab release mechanism is
free of debris and engages properly

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Working at Heights
Inspection Method - Lanyard
Webbing Lanyards - While bending webbing over a
pipe or mandrel, observe each side of the webbed
lanyard. This will reveal any cuts, snags or breaks.
Swelling, discoloration, cracks and charring are obvious
signs of chemical or heat damage. Observe closely for
any breaks in stitching.
Shock Absorber Pack - The outer portion of the pack
should be examined for burn holes and tears.
Stitching on areas where the pack is sewn to D-rings,
belts or lanyards should be examined for loose
strands, rips, deterioration or other signs of activation
Snap hooks - Inspect closely for hook and eye distortions,
cracks, corrosion, or pitted surfaces. The keeper (latch)
should seat into the nose without binding and should not
be distorted or obstructed. The keeper spring should exert
sufficient force to firmly close the keeper. Keeper locks
must prevent the keeper from opening when the keeper
closes

6. Working at Heights
Abrasion damage adjacent
to energy absorber:
displaced protective
sleeve over energy
absorber
Missing label: damage to
protective sleeve over
energy absorber
Damaged webbing and
protector to energy
absorber
Wear at end of absorber
loop at connection
Heavy paint contamination
to webbing
Severe heat damage
Examples of damaged Safety Harnesses

7. Working at Heights
Important to Remember!!
Every Safety Harness and Lanyard must have an information label attached to it.
This label will display the serial number, date of manufacture, load rating, material
composition etc, and all this information can be traced back to the certificate that
was issued by the manufacturer for the particular harness/lanyard. This
certificated must be kept for the duration the harness/lanyard is in use.