Safety Harness Injuries

A safety harness is a device that is meant to prevent injury in the event of a fall. A safety harness should be used by anyone engaging in any activity that takes place more than a few feet off the ground. A safety harness can be anything from a rope tied around the waist, to a padded, full body apparatus. While safety harnesses are designed to prevent injury, they can actually cause them if used improperly.

  1. Types

    • There are both major and minor injuries associated with the improper use of a safety harness. Some of the more common minor injuries can include skin lacerations, muscle and bone contusions, ligament sprains or tears, and cracked ribs. Major safety harness injuries can include broken bones and dislocated joints, concussion, paralysis and organ damage. Death can occur from a broken spine or suspension trauma which can include, but is not limited to, asphyxiation.

    Causes

    • Human error in the improper use of a safety harness is almost always the cause of safety harness injuries. Not having the harness properly adjusted or secured to your body can cause the safety harness to slip or fail in the event of a fall. Leaving too much slack in the attaching lanyard or strap can create an abrupt stop during a fall and cause you to experience a violent jerk to your body. Too much slack can also allow the lanyard to become tangled in nearby equipment, causing it to tighten around your body.

    Expert Insight

    • OSHA, the Occupational and Safety Health Administration, has recognized the need to mandate the use of the full body safety harness in certain industries and situations. This is because many of the most severe types of injuries occur from "jack-knifing" that results from what is called the "nose-to-toes" posture of the body being violently folded in half when the safety harness is only secured to the body at the waist with a belt.

    Survival

    • If you experience a fall, the longer you hang suspended in the air by the harness, the less chance you will have of climbing to safety. If you do experience a fall it is imperative that you do whatever is necessary to right yourself as soon as possible as you may only have a few minutes before you lose consciousness. The weight of your body hanging motionless in the harness for longer than five minutes can cause your chest to become compressed, restricting your lung function, causing you to pass out and be asphyxiated.

    Prevention

    • The best way to avoid safety harness injuries is by matching the proper harness to the activity and having it properly adjusted. Allow as little slack in the attaching strap as possible, barely enough to allow you just enough room to be able to execute your activities. That way if you should slip, your fall will be as short as possible. A full body harness with padding is the safest as it will distribute the force of the fall most evenly across your body, rather than focusing it in just one or two areas. If you haven't used a safety harness before it is advisable to receive instruction on the prevention of safety harness injuries.