It’s not just “put on the harness and go”
A lot of people think working-at-height safety comes down to the harness. But a harness alone protects nothing — it’s just one piece of an entire system that has to work together.
The pieces that make up the full system
- Anchor point: needs to withstand the force of a real fall, not just the weight of a person standing still.
- Full-body harness: spreads the impact force across the whole body.
- Lanyard with shock absorber: softens the jolt at the moment of a fall.
- Fall arrester: stops the fall from continuing freely.
Before climbing
You need a risk assessment specific to that location, real training (not quick — it has a minimum required duration), and a medical clearance specific to work at height — a standard checkup doesn’t cut it.
And if something goes wrong anyway?
A rescue plan needs to be in place, because hanging in a harness for too long is dangerous on its own, even without hitting anything.
A technical detail that makes a real difference
Where you anchor the lanyard completely changes the impact force in a fall. An anchor in the wrong spot can mean the shock absorber doesn’t absorb enough.