Ilene,

I very much appreciate your pro-active approach to harnesses. We are 
often required to bring the harnesses when an architect/engineer shows 
up on a project. Our tendency is to go buy new ones. When they show up 
with their own pre-fitted harness and they know how to put the gear on 
we always feel more confident that they will be safe. The implicit and 
usually unstated situation is here is someone that has come into the 
field environment that is 'smart' but they can't figure out how to get 
their harness on. How smart can that be? Then we have to show them we 
can't figure it out either. Or it can get kind of sensitive standing 
there telling the architect how to tighten up the crotch without 
actually reaching down to help. Showing up with a harness and knowing 
how to use it also increases confidence and appreciation on teh part of 
the mechanics of the architect'engineer's craft and knowledge and helps 
in so far as the on-site good attitude to openly share information about 
the project.

One reason contractor's show up with new harnesses is that for the ones 
that they own if they are onto their game their harnesses are already 
personally allocated, and fitted. Upkeep of harnesses is a personal 
management issue internal to an organization. Some workers take care of 
them, some do not. Some projects are clean, some are very dirty and use 
up harnesses faster for that. Harnesses need to be kept stored dry, not 
always an easy option if they are kept behind the seat in a PU truck. 
Then there are issues for any contractor for figuring out where their 
equipment is at. Don't want to show up with cousin Fred's old beat up 
frayed harness, even if it is just fine for Fred, and hand it to the 
architect. Might better go get a new one and make a better impression. 
Besides, Fred is pretty big and it will be difficult how to explain 
fitting it to the architect. And then there is the situation that one 
never really knows if a used harness is safe. If a harness has been used 
in a fall then at the least the lanyard should be discarded and there 
would be questions as to condition of the harness itself.

One friend who looked into it and procured her own harness explained to 
me that a harness constructed/fitted for a man is not fitted for a woman.

I do not know of any references that would be comprehensive or tailored 
to the specific need that you have. You can look at the OSHA regs though 
that can create more confusion than help when it comes to field 
application and company policy.

> The goal is to give our staff more confidence when going on job sites, but also to show respect for the construction crews and their concern for job safety.
>   
A good goal.

][<

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