Portwest - Do You Know Booklet

DO YOU KNOW 19

HARNESSES (OR ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS ON A FULL BODY HARNESS) INTENDED FOR USE WHERE FREE-FALL IS NOT USED – IN PARTICULAR, WORK POSITIONING / RESTRAINT AND FOR USE IN ABSEILING OR ROPE ACCESS. EN 358:2000 / EN 813:2008 WORK POSITIONING / SIT HARNESSES

DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE As with full body harnesses, work positioning and sit / abseil harnesses are subjected to a drop test to generate a shock load on the harness. However, commensurate with the end use, a lesser force is applied to the harness as the possibility of a period of free-fall is significantly less in use. Work positioning attachments are subjected to a 1 metre drop with a 1 metre length of rope, whereas sit harnesses are dropped over a distance of 2 metres with a 1 metre length of rope. In both cases, the harness is required only to safely arrest the fall of the test dummy following the drop.

CORROSION RESISTANCE Metallic components used in fall protection equipment are subjected to a neutral salt-spray test intended to prove a minimum resistance to environmental corrosion (specifically rust). Products are held within a sealed chamber, which is filled with a salt-water mist, which can induce rust in unprotected metals. Products are subjected to either 24 or 48 hours exposure and examined for rusting and function afterward.

STATIC STRENGTH Whole products are subjected to tensile tests. Belts, harnesses and lanyards are subject to a 15kN tensile force. Tensile forces are applied and held for at least 3 minutes, to ensure the breaking strength of the product is in excess of the force specified by the standard.