Many people ask about the weight that a Safety Harness can support, but the big question is related to how much impact a person can withstand in case of a fall. In tests performed in our Safety Harnesses, it supports an impact load superior to 20 kN when exposed to a fall factor = 2 and fall displacement of 4 m, since a lanyard may have a maximum of 2 m.
However, the human body supports an average of 12 kN of impact distributed throughout the body, even so, in every test in accordance with the NBRs the fall restraint equipment (lanyard and fall arrest) should not exceed the value of braking force higher than 6 kN, to ensure the physical integrity of the employee, taking into account that the greatest impact will be in the groin where we have an important artery, the femoral.
For a person weighing more than 100 kg to be able to perform an activity at height, a risk analysis must be performed, taking into account what will be his/her fall displacement, that is, where his/her anchorage point is located. Whenever we have a fall factor < 1 (anchorage point above the head), its fall displacement is considered safe, not generating an impact force on the body capable of causing injury.The analysis begins to change when we have a fall factor = 1 (between shoulders and waist), because the displacement of this fall will be the size of the equipment used, and it is necessary to take into account how much the individual exceeds 100 kg – bearing in mind that we have the influence of speed and gravity that combined increase the weight of a body, and can cause some kind of injury. On the other hand, a fall factor = 2, where the fall displacement is twice the size of the equipment and the impact force suffered by the individual can exceed 6 kN (even with an energy absorber), must be treated with caution because it can cause serious injuries and even death.Therefore, we can say that Safety Harnesses do support people weighing more than 100 kg. The big question is whether the human being can withstand the impact resulting from a fall. For this reason a risk analysis must be performed before any activity, following the guidelines provided by a trained professional - fall factor, anchorage point resistance, type of fall arrest equipment used, equipment extension, among other important points.