What's the Difference between Fall Arrest Harness vs Work Position Harness?

There are so many different types of safety harness, it is difficult to determine what sort you need sometimes.

Here we will explain the difference between two of the most commonly used harness types: fall arrest harnesses and work positioning harnesses.

A fall arrest harness is an important part of a fall arrest system. The harness is attached to a secure anchor point with a fall arrest lanyard, if you fall, this setting stops you before you hit the ground.

Fall arrest harnesses are essentially the last line of defense for workers who might be at risk of falling. We should prevent the fall from occurring in the first place.

A fall arrest system includes the following:

• A fall arrest harness

• An energy absorber

• An anchor line

• An anchor end

• Connector equipment

• Lanyards

The work position harness with a lanyard holds the wearer in place and allowing them to maintain the position needed for a particular task. They're also known as 'sit harnesses' as they're designed to provide maximum comfort and security when working at height for a long time.

This type of harness can fully support the waist and legs, allowing arms and hands to move freely. Many work position harnesses also come with optional shoulder straps for extra support.

You can use a fall arrest harness when you are working in dangerous, life-threatening conditions, like skylights, roofs, narrow ledges or in an area with a high risk of falling.

A fall arrest harness should always be used with other PPE, and a detailed rescue plan will help to ensure safety.

You can use a work position harness if you need to retain both hands while working. The following people frequently use work positioning harnesses:

• Construction workers

• Linesmen

• Window washers

• Arborists / tree surgeons

Please kindly note that a positioning system is not as same as fall protection system, you may need both to prevent a serious fall.