There are many different kinds of welding jobs and in your career as a welder, you are bound to come across many of them. Some welders work on ships or docks, others work in the automotive industry, and still others work with oil companies on the drilling platforms or the pipelines. Some welding jobs that a welder undertakes might require that the welder work in the air. In fact, some jobs require welders to be in the air for long periods or just a lot of general time working in the air. That is where safety harnesses come in.
Safety harnesses are are designed to protect welders from falling from significant heights. They are made of nylon or rope webbing that is tired around a welder’s waist and then secured to either a strong rope that is anchored to some stable point or that is secured directly to an anchor point. Anchor points can be something like a sturdy beam or other strong point that will not buckle under a welder’s weight. There are different kinds of harnesses available for welders. The kind of harness that you will need depends on the level of work you are going to be doing.
If you prefer lightweight safety harnesses, then you might want to consider such harnesses as the FP Pro Harness that has hip D-rings and Qwik-Fit buckles. These are very comfortable harnesses and are much more comfortable for many welders than other kinds of harnesses. Some harnesses have both chest straps and buckles and other harnesses only have chest straps. You may find that you have a preference as to which kind you prefer. Many welders prefer harnesses that have both straps and buckles because they feel that these kinds of harnesses are more secure.
The webbing of safety harnesses is very important. Most are made with nylon but that can be a problem for welders because nylon can be flammable and sometimes will catch on fire from the sparks that welding puts off. You should always try to protect your harness from any stray flames or sparks. Pay special attention to the leg, waist, and shoulder straps because this is where most burn damage happens. Aprons can be worn over the harness and can serve as a barrier between the sparks and the nylon. Leather protection pieces that will fit over the harness straps where they are most vulnerable are used by some welders to help prevent damage from sparks.
There have been many work related injuries from accidents involving welding safety harnesses. Make sure that any harness you use meets OSHA standards. One way to make sure your harness is a good one is to buy it from a source that is reputable. Harnesses that are made badly will cause you a lot of trouble. Every harness should come with instructions that are clear and easy to understand and also need to have care information with them.
