A Systematic Review of The Design of Safety Harnesses for Work at Height and The Effects of Suspension During a Fall

Falls from height rank among the most frequent accidents encountered in construction workplaces. To mitigate such risks, the utilization of suitable personal fall protection equipment, including safety harnesses, proves to be an effective control measure.

This study involved a comprehensive review of articles pertaining to the study’s objective, published in renowned scientific journals between 2000 and 2021. To achieve this, a meticulous search was conducted across ten scientific-specialized databases, employing eight keywords: “Full body harness,” “fall arrest systems,” “industrial harness,” “harness ergonomic,” “design procedures harness,” “standard for harness,” “fall protection,” and “P.P.E work at height.” The search yielded a collection of relevant articles for analysis and examination.

A total of 101 articles were gathered through the utilization of the specified keywords. Subsequently, a meticulous review process led to the selection of 23 relevant articles for inclusion in the primary study. These chosen articles were categorized into two distinct groups: one focused on the “design of harnesses and optimization of fall arrest systems,” while the other delved into “studies on the consequences of suspension from a height and its effects.” Our findings revealed that 34.7% of the studies evaluated harness safety, 34.7% examined harness ergonomics, and 30.3% investigated suspension consequences.

When a harness is suspended, it leads to physiological changes. Notably, no studies have reported any fatalities resulting from harness suspension. However, the longevity of the suspension greatly depends on utilizing the appropriate harness accessories. The most significant challenge lies in the ergonomic design of the harnesses.