Consider Setting Criteria for Fire Service Harnesses
RESCUE
Harnesses are one of the most depended upon pieces of equipment the fire service has. Yet, there are no set standards for their safety and use.
While criteria and standards have been set for most industrial safety belts and harnesses, this same type of equipment used in the fire service for fireground and rescue operations is without any form of benchmark. Descriptions and suggested uses of equipment are offered by manufacturers. Testing and operational practices under controlled and safe conditions are recommended before usage during fireground or rescue operations.
Maybe it’s time firefighters themselves looked into developing a set of standards for such important tools. Here are some suggestions:
Harness classifications
- Type 1. Positioning belts:
- Life belts
- Safety belts
- Shoulder harnesses
- Tower ladder restraining belts.
Positioning belts are those that support personnel working in precarious locations, such as on aerial ladders, where a serious fall might occur.
- Type II. Rappelling/sliding belts:
Life belts
Bos’n seats and seat harnesses
Waist harnesses
Full body harnesses.
Rappelling/sliding belts and harnesses are used to support personnel during rappels and slides and to lower victims to safety.
- Type Ill. Rescue pickup harnesses:
- Full body harnesses
- Waist harnesses with leg straps
- Waist harnesses with butt straps.
Rescue pickup harnesses support rescue personnel in an upright position during rappels, slides and lowerings to affect a pickup of a victim. There cannot be any possibility of the rescuer toppling and such harnesses must be comfortable to the wearer.
- Class 1 harnesses and belts:
Class 1 harnesses and belts have permanently attached ascending/descending devices, such as rappel hooks and pompier hooks.
- Class 2 harnesses and belts:
Class 2 harnesses and belts are without permanently attached ascending/ descending devices. These devices, such as carabiners and figure-eights, are purchased separately from the harnesses. Harnesses designed for mountain climbing are of Class 2 rating.
Service life
Many people in the fire service periodically purchase new cars, clothing, home furnishings, etc., without resentment that such items have a relatively short life expectancy. Yet, where life-saving rope, life belts and harnesses are concerned, these same people seem to expect such equipment to last through 20 or 30 years of service without replacement.
A shelf and service life for harnesses would be useful in order to remove any doubt of the safety of aged equipment.
Some manufacturers would like to see the establishment of a shelf life for their belts and harnesses. This would be in the best interest of firefighters because equipment would systematically be removed from service before its safety becomes questionable. A stated shelf life also would be in the best interest of the manufacturers because it could eliminate lawsuits due to injury from failure of equipment that becomes aged and obsolete or weakened during heavy use.
However, a few manufacturers may claim a longer shelf life for their equipment, inferring that the equipment would therefore be stronger and safer to purchase for use. Selecting the strongest and safest equipment requires extensive testing by the purchaser before contracting for a substantial order. All components of fire service harnesses and belts should have a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds. Promising statements and salesmanship of equipment suppliers should be questioned.
Some firefighters often demand life-saving equipment that would not need care or even periodic inspection. They simply want to open a bag, attach their rope to something and proceed to make a rescue pickup. Other firefighters are enthused in offering design concepts, types of stitching and other preferences. Although strength and comfort of equipment is important, most firefighters want to know how to use whatever is available to them. They want to practice making pickups, slides and rappels, and gain confidence in their equipment.
Belts and harnesses used for rescue pickups may absorb loads of two or more people at one time, unlike the industrial type safety belts used by the military which absorb the weight of only one person during use. Equipment designed for mountain climbing too is intended to support the weight of only one person, and the possibility of this equipment supporting the weight of two people repeatedly can be doubtful. Therefore, fire service rescue harnesses may require a seven-year shelf life because of the possibility of heavy shock loading. Military harnesses are required to be replaced 10 years from the date of purchase.
Inspections
Periodic inspections and examinations of equipment before and after each use must be made to determine the serviceability of the equipment regardless of age or expected service life. Because of their wide range of use and popularity, emphasis is made regarding inspection procedures of life belts. A strength test of life belts cannot be made without rendering the equipment useless. Only a visual examination can be made. Belts having leather billets and leather straps for buckle attachments are at least eight years old. Furthermore, life belts are more than 20 years old if they do not have dates stamped into metal discs attached to the belts. All belts with leather billets and all belts that are not dated should be removed from service because they may not meet safe working strength requirements.
Examine webbing for fraying, broken fibers, wear, pulled stitches, cuts, embrittlement and discoloration. The hardware must not be distorted, cracked or corroded. The hook’s gate or keeper must close properly and securely. Orings must not be elongated. Welds must not be cracked. Billet straps must not be severely worn and grommets must not be loose, distorted, broken or missing. Rivets must be unmoveable with finger pressure and they must not be pitted or cracked. The tops and bottoms of rivets must be flush with the webbing.
Should any of the preceding conditions or any other questionable condition be noticed during inspection, the suspect equipment should be removed from service. The caution labels and maintenance guides that are supplied with the purchase of the equipment must be complied with. Belts and harnesses that are properly maintained and used should provide safe and effective use for at least seven years. If equipment is deemed unsafe or even questionable, it should be removed from service and evaluated, regardless of its age.
Proper donning methods
During rappels and slides, the waistband of a life belt rides up above the wearer’s waist level. Such an occurrence can cause injury to the rib cage or spine if a rescue pickup is attempted. Only harnesses should be worn where rescue pickups are to be made while sliding or rappelling because the rescuer’s body weight will be evenly distributed and safely supported by the harness. A life belt may be used to lower a rescuer, who is properly secured to a rope, in order to make a rescue pickup. The waistband of a harness must remain at waist level to provide proper support and comfort of personnel during rappels. Should the waistband of any belt or harness ride up past the hips, as shown in Figure 1, there will not be any bone structure to support the stress loads that can be anticipated.
Editor’s note: In the connotative meaning, “rappelling” denotes a descender on a mountainside kicking away into space from sheer-face and rock obstacles. To use this tactic on the sides of buildings where a rescuer or descender would smash uncontrollably into windows, air conditioners, flagpoles, and other ornamental appurtenances makes the word rappelling a misnomer. At FIRE ENGINEERING, we choose to use the word “sliding” to indicate the difference necessary in descent techniques.
Webbing supports are permitted to come in contact with the small of the back, the groin, the inside of the thighs and in the area of the arm pits; there must not be any metal parts allowed to come into contact with these areas. Harness webbing or hardware must not come into direct contact with the genitals.
Generally, there isn’t any discomfort while wearing a harness although minor discomfort may be felt when gathering the additional weight of a rescue pickup. It must be understood that the combined weights of two people will be supported by strips of webbing and therefore minor discomfort can be expected. Various harnesses will offer varying degrees of comfort, but in no case should excruciating pain be felt when using any harness, even during rescue pickup operations.
Toppling was mentioned earlier in the classifications section of rescue harnesses. Most waist harnesses have an inherent effect of allowing a person to topple over backwards during a slide or rappel, but especially during an attempt to make a rescue pickup. A toppling effect can be seen as the person sliding or rappelling from the helicopter is controlling the speed of descent with one hand, while holding onto the rope with the other hand. Notice the horizontal angle of the legs. The upper body would also become horizontal during the descent if the rope was not being held with the uppermost hand.
Rescue pickups require the free use of one hand or arm to hold the victim. Although a waist harness is preferable to a full body harness because it is lighter in weight and more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, a full body harness will safely maintain the body in an upright position while providing the free use of one hand.
