Years ago fall protection equipment was heavy and uncomfortable. Buckles and D-rings were clumsy, bulky forgings. Harness webbing was stiff and abrasive. No wonder workers avoided wearing them, even when they understood the risks.
Several years ago at my company we introduced a tower worker’s harness that met all the ANSI requirements. However, we were totally oblivious to the comfort level the product offered. Successfully passing drop tests, stress requirements and the like was not enough. We subsequently experienced a tragedy.
A young worker, in his early twenties, found the leg straps extremely uncomfortable. He had his own solution. With a little duct tape, he was able to get those straps “out of his way.†He fell, slipped out of the harness and plunged to his death. His widow and two small children took no comfort in the fact that he had been issued fully compliant fall protection equipment.