Additionally, a false sense of security may cause the recommended competent person annual inspection to be put off or even skipped. The wearer might skip inspecting for defects each time the harness is used. It’s possible to become complacent, taking for granted that the harness will perform properly if and when needed. This harness still has four year of use left in it.” “My harness is only a year old, so I’m confident I’m adequately protected. However, it could have some adverse effects.įor example, it could lull the wearer or safety professional into a false sense of security. You might think that having a mandated expiration date for a fall protection harness would be a good thing. The Potential Problem With a Mandated Expiration Date

More important than who determines its end of life is what determines it.

In fact, the only person who can truly determine when a harness is due for removal is you or your competent, trained inspector. Even most manufacturers will not suggest how long a harness will last. Neither OSHA nor ANSI have current codes or standards that set a specific time period for taking a harness out of service. There is no such thing as a predetermined or mandated expiration date on fall protection harnesses. Who Defines a Fall Protection Harness’s Expiration Date or End Of Life? Is there a fall protection harness expiration date, beyond which they’re deemed unusable? That said, most manufacturers do have guidelines for the inspection and replacement of some components based on the manufacture date and/or the date of first use.īut what about fall protection harnesses? After all, we’re not talking about a food item or other perishable.

Technically, they don’t have a standards-defined EOL (end of life) date or definitive shelf life. In a recent article, we discussed the “expiration date” for hard hats.

How long do checks last before expiring