b'THE OFFICIAL NFBA MAGAZINEFIT FOR PROTECTION: PROPERLY FITTING FALL PROTECTION HARNESSES PROTECT WORKERSSAFETY UPDATEBy:Philip Jacklin Risk Service Specialist, SedgwickW hen it comes to personalprotectiveThe importance of proper harness equipment (PPE), most pieces offit equipment are designed to protect aThe Occupational Safety & Health worker right out of the packaging. When a workerAdministration (OSHA) mandates that manufacturers faces potential hand injuries, simply providing theminstructions be followed for safety equipment. If with appropriate safety gloves immediately reducesworkers do not fit their PPE according to its design, the risk factor for an employee without changing howthey prevent the equipment from doing its job. Besides they perform their task. Similarly, if a worker faces eyethe risk of violating OSHA requirements that can lead injuries from a task like grinding or cutting, simplyto citations and potential injury, this practice leads to donning safety glasses can protect the workers eyesthe worker being less protected by their equipment.from debris or other hazardous material. Gloves and glasses are not necessarily technical pieces of safetyFall protection harnesses are designed to fit tight and equipment; therefore, most workers will naturally donensure the body remains as stationary as possible them correctly or with minimal training. But whenduring a fall incident. This allows the harness to absorb it comes to fall protection equipment, its commonas much force of the fall as possible. A loose-fitting for workers to improperly don the equipment, whichharness allows the body to move around too much, and can potentially allow them to work while still beingthe user will feel more force during a fall, furthering exposed to the risk of injury or worse. the risk of injury. One must remember that during a 30 / FRAME BUILDER - VOL6 4'