3M™ DBI-SALA© ExoFit XE200 Comfort Positioning Safety Harness
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Guide to Working at Height
When working at height, the right protection must be used to prevent serious injury or death from falls. One of the most important forms of fall protection is the safety harness system. Harnesses are designed to secure the worker and prevent or arrest a fall when used with a suitable anchor point and lanyard.
What types of fall protection can be used?
Harnesses:
A harness is used to secure a worker at height and prevent or arrest a fall. They are typically worn around the shoulders, chest, and legs, the harness distributes the forces of a fall across the body and connects to a fall arrest system, anchor point, or self-retracting lifeline (SRL).
Harnesses are critical in reducing the risk of injury during falls, especially from structures like scaffolding, towers, ladders, or rooftops. Harnesses are essential in industries such as construction, telecoms, wind turbine maintenance, and building services.
Self-retracting Lifelines:
Self-retracting lifelines are a fall protection device that automatically extends and retracts as the worker moves. In the event of a fall, the SRL immediately locks and absorbs energy to reduce impact forces.
SRLs offer greater mobility and safety compared to standard lanyards, especially on vertical structures or in areas requiring frequent movement. SRLs are widely used in industrial maintenance, construction, and tower climbing tasks where workers need both vertical and horizontal freedom. They're often attached to overhead anchorage systems, mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), or scaffold towers.
Confined space entry & rescue
Confined spaces — such as tanks, silos, sewers, and tunnels — require specialised entry and rescue equipment due to the risks of limited access, poor ventilation, and hazardous substances. These setups are essential for safely lowering and retrieving workers. They allow for controlled descent and immediate rescue in case of an emergency, such as unconsciousness due to gases or oxygen deficiency. Under COSHH Regulations 2002, employers must protect workers from exposure to hazardous substances, which often applies in confined space scenarios.
Common in water treatment, energy, manufacturing, and underground utility work, confined space systems are designed for both access and emergency retrieval.
Best Use Cases in Different Environments
| Work Environment | Harnesses | Self-Retracting Lifelines (SRLs) | Confined Space Entry & Rescue Systems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Sites | ✅ Essential for working on scaffolds, roofs, or steelwork | ✅ Useful for vertical work and mobile access | ❌ Not commonly needed unless tunnelling or working in enclosed pits |
| Telecom & Utilities | ✅ Required for tower climbing and pole work | ✅ Ideal for movement on masts and pylons | ❌ Rarely used unless entering underground chambers |
| Wind Energy / Turbine Maintenance | ✅ Mandatory for nacelle and blade access | ✅ Used with anchor points inside turbine towers | ❌ Occasionally required for tower base entry or rescue plans |
| Facilities Management & Roofing | ✅ For elevated maintenance and repairs | ✅ For work on mobile platforms (MEWPs) or rooftops | ❌ Not typically needed |
| Manufacturing & Industrial Maintenance | ✅ For accessing elevated machinery or platforms | ✅ Ideal in tight areas with low fall clearance | ❌ Needed if tanks or vessels are entered for maintenance |
| Warehousing & Logistics | ✅ When using ladders or elevated access | ❌ Less common due to lower risk tasks | ❌ Not required |
| Water Treatment & Utilities (Underground) | ✅ For above-ground safety | ✅ May be used near open tanks or structures | ✅ Essential for manhole or tank entry and emergency retrieval |
| Confined Spaces (Tunnels, Silos, Vessels) | ✅ Used as part of rescue system | ✅ When used with tripod/davit arms | ✅ Mandatory – entry and rescue system required by law |
| Aircraft Maintenance / Aviation | ✅ Used for hangar work or elevated access | ✅ Useful for working on wings or fuselage | ❌ Rare unless dealing with underground systems |
Selecting the right fall protection connector for leading edges.
Leading edge hazards are more prevalent than you might think. On a construction site, you can find leading edges on decks, concrete surfaces, scaffolds, skylights, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), manholes and steel beams. It’s important to ensure that your connecting devices, including self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) and energy absorbing lanyards, are designed to account for leading edge hazards.
Leading edge protection is recommended for:
- Working at heights while installing roof decking
- Steel erection
- Working at heights on temporary structures
A leading edge application includes any situation where a connecting device has the potential to contact an edge during a fall. These circumstances are common to a wide range of construction worksites. It’s essential to carefully evaluate whether a leading edge compatible connecting device should be used any time the device could contact an edge during use.
Where do leading edges exist?
Leading edge means the unprotected side and edge of a floor, roof, or formwork for a floor or other walking/ working surface (such as deck) which changes location as additional floor, roof, decking or formwork sections are placed, formed or constructed.
Situations : Mobile elevating work platforms, Concrete decking, Working atop scaffold planking, Precast bridge assembly, Manholes Steel erection, Flooring Beam work, sylights.
Virtually all construction crews will encounter worksite leading edges. That’s why it’s critical to use fall protection components designed, tested and certified to help be resistant to leading edge hazards. These connecting devices should integrate shock absorption to compensate for increased leading edge fall distances.
Working at Height FAQs
Fall arrest is aimed at bringing a fall safely to a stop without sudden impact. Fall prevention is the process by which we stop the fall before it has happened.
A personal fall arrest system is as simple as ABCD.
Anchors – This is what a worker attaches to while working at height. It must be a solid point and stable.
Body – This will be a suitable Harness for your application.
Connectors – The device that bridges the Anchor Point to your Harness.
Decent & Rescue – Essential equipment that allows the user to be lowered safely post-fall.
A daily check of your Fall Protection equipment should be carried out prior to use. Below are things to look out for.
Look for cut, broken, or pulled stitches in the webbing on the harness. This can be easily seen when pushing the webbing into a U Shape to check for imperfections from high temperatures or corrosive substances.
Verify the harness’s manufacturing date and expiration date if one is listed.
Make sure there are no cracks or signs of corrosion on the harness D-Rings. None of the hardware on your harness should be loose or be resistant when connecting with the corresponding pieces.
The term ‘Competent Person’ describes a Safety Manager, a Supervisor or an individual with exceptional safety training knowledge within the workplace. These individuals are experienced in identifying workplace hazards and can take action to correct issues relating to dangerous environments. Inspecting your own Fall Protection equipment is not satisfactory for this process.
Trauma Relief Straps are often situated near the waist section of a safety harness and can be deployed if a fall occurs. They will then create a step for the worker to stand on while they wait for rescue. Trauma Relief Straps reduce pressures that can form on the body post a fall so the individual can remain as comfortable as possible with continued blood circulation.