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. Manufacturers began to take notice. Changes appeared; slowly at first but now more rapidly. Our wake-up call came in a tragic way.
We had introduced a tower worker’s harness that met all the OSHA and ANSI requirements. Unfortunately, we were totally oblivious to the comfort level we were offering. Successfully passing drop tests, stress requirements and the like was not enough.