Impact of harness fit on suspension tolerance

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hsiao H ; Turner N ; Whisler R ; Zwiener J
• Description:
  Objective: This study investigated the effect of body size and shape and harness fit on suspension tolerance time. Background: Fall victims may develop suspension trauma, a potentially fatal reduction of return blood flow from legs to the heart and brain, after a successfully arrested fall if they are not rescued quickly or the harness does not fit them well. Method: For this study, 20 men and 17 women with construction experience were suspended from the dorsal D-ring of a full-body fall-arrest harness. Their suspension tolerance time, physical characteristics, and harness fit levels were assessed. Results: Body characteristics (i.e., weight, stature, upper- and lower-torso depths) were associated with decreased suspension tolerance time (r = -.36 approximately -.45, p ≤ .03). In addition, harness fit affected suspension tolerance time; workers with a torso angle of suspension greater than 35 degrees, a thigh strap angle greater than 50 degrees, or a poorly fitting harness size had shorter suspension tolerance time (mean differences = 14, 11, and 9.8 min, respectively, p ≤ .05). Conclusion: Body size and harness fit were predictors of suspension tolerance time. Selecting well-fit harnesses and establishing a 9-min rescue plan are suggested to ensure that no more than 5% of workers would experience suspension trauma. Applications: The study provides a basis for harness designers, standards writers, and manufacturers to improve harness configurations and testing requirements for better worker protection against suspension trauma. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Accidents, Occupational Construction Industry Men Occupational Health Safety Women
• Keywords:
  Anthropometry Author Keywords: 3-D Scan Body Shape Construction-industry Construction-workers Fall-protection Fall Arrest Harnesses Harness Fit Humans Injuries Physiological-factors Rescue Suspension Tolerance-threshold Traumatic-injuries Workers

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• ISSN:
  0018-7208
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  346-357
• Volume:
  54
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20040657
• Citation:
  Hum Factors 2012 Jun; 54(3):346-357
• Contact Point Address:
  Hongwei Hsiao, PhD, Chief, Protective Technology Branch, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Rd., Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  hxh4@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Human Factors
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:58ad493bcf50c6c571c808f3878a7143419eb03f96b4963368979307ea163829f9829cf6802be5da662cfcbc419e59b29a9420db5c0aacc1ac041ab1c2c084c2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/193447/cdc_193447_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 995.97 KB ]