b'8 SafetyFIT FOR PROTECTION:PROPERLY FITTING FALL PROTECTION HARNESSES PROTECT WORKERSW hen it comes to personal protectivenot fit their PPE according to itsBy Philip JacklinDedicated to keeping its members at the forefront in their industryequipment (PPE), most pieces ofdesign, they prevent the equipment equipment are designed to protectfrom doing its job. Besides the risk a worker right out of the packaging.of violating OSHA requirements When a worker faces potential hand injuries,that can lead to citations and potential injury, this simply providing them with appropriate safetypractice leads to the worker being less protected gloves immediately reduces the risk factor for anby their equipment.employee without changing how they perform their task. Similarly, if a worker faces eye injuries from aFall protection harnesses are designed to fit tight task like grinding or cutting, simply donning safetyand ensure the body remains as stationary as glasses can protect the workers eyes from debrispossible during a fall incident. This allows the or other hazardous material. Gloves and glassesharness to absorb as much force of the fall as are not necessarily technical pieces of safetypossible. A loose-fitting harness allows the body equipment; therefore, most workers will naturallyto move around too much, and the user will feel donthemcorrectlyorwithminimaltraining.more force during a fall, furthering the risk of But when it comes to fall protection equipment,injury. One must remember that during a fall, its common for workers to improperly don thethe victim is simultaneously being pulled down equipment, which can potentially allow them toby the forces of gravity and up by the equipment work while still being exposed to the risk of injurytrying to successfully arrest their fall. A properly or worse. fitting harness is the lynchpin between ultimate safety being achieved and additional accidental The importance of proper harness fitinjury occurring. A properly fitting harness helps The Occupational Safety & Health Administrationprevent the latter.(OSHA) mandates that manufacturers instructions be followed for safety equipment. If workers doPre-use inspections are required on all pieces of The InsulatorSeptember 2025'