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Abstract
Construction roofing is much more hazardous than most other occupations. Typically construction workers underestimate the hazards in their own work. Fall protection harnesses have been a critical work practice control technology to reduce fall related injuries and fatalities among construction workers. As a system, fall arrest harnesses have several components, namely the harness, lanyard, and roof anchor, which are engineered to work together within context. The purpose of this study is to analyze harness efficiency and effectiveness using the fall arrest harness as a component of a sociotechnical system. Participants were observed using fall arrest harnesses and self-reported their opinions about perceived fit and interference while performing roofing tasks. Descriptive and interferential statistics were used to generate new requirements and specifications for fall arrest harness design. Next-generation (NextGen) harnesses will reduce the risk of worker injury resulting from poor fit, improper size selection, or failure to use the harness properly.
Keywords
Construction, Sociotechnical Systems, Fall Protection, Usability, Safety
1. Introduction
A personal fall arrest system (PFAS) is a type of protective equipment that includes a full body harness, connectors, lanyard, energy absorber, and an anchor. As Thomas Wolner points out, "there are a number of things to consider when putting together a PFAS. The actual equipment you select will depend upon the type of work, variety of tasks to be performed, means of access to the work location, mobility required, work site geometry, compliance issues, and personal preferences" (Wolner, 1998). For the purpose of this study we will be focusing on the harness system as it relates to the prevention of falls. The fall arrest harness provides maximum efficiency and security for workers at different heights. The price of the harness should be suitable and in step with stylistic improvements (Sears, 1998). Harnesses should be easy to use, comfortable, and technically adapted to the needs of the tasks. Better harness designs are needed to accommodate diverse populations in the current workforce, but very little is known about the fit of these harnesses to the population that wears them (Salkever, 2001). Full body fall protection harnesses have been a critical work practice control technology for reducing the number of fall related injuries and fatalities among construction workers. Harnesses have a greater potential to reduce...