Humans cannot fly, and reliable jetpacks have yet to be invented. This means that working at height requires a fair amount of equipment, which can be broadly split into two categories: access and safety. Read on to find out more.

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We are proud to announce that SafetyLiftinGear is now a distributor of MSA Safety products. We have a range of harnesses, fall limiters and gas detectors available to buy online, and we'll be adding many more MSA products to our range in the near future.

About MSA Safety Inc.

MSA Safety Incorporated is an American company that was founded in 1914. After a mine explosion in West Virginia claimed the lives of more than eighty workers, engineer John T. Ryan began exploring ways to protect people in hazardous workplaces. The first product manufactured by Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) was an electric cap lamp that made mine explosions much rarer.

That was more than a hundred years ago. Since then, MSA Safety has become known around the world as a company that's dedicated to protecting the lives of workers.

What MSA equipment do we offer?

We currently offer:

• MSA safety harnesses
• MSA confined space equipment

Our MSA range will be expanding very soon, with many new items already on their way. Please don't hesitate to contact the SafetyLiftinGear team if you have any questions about our high-quality safety equipment!

View all MSA Safety products >

Our safety equipment is great for helping you work safely on a roof. So, we thought we'd put together a guide for you on how to use it! 

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No matter how experienced you think you are when it comes to working at height or how many times you may have used a safety harness, you should always check their suitability before using one. There have been many instances all over the world of experienced workers falling to their deaths or becoming severely injured as a result of faulty safety equipment.

As with all personal protective equipment, safety harnesses must be examined at least every 12-months and should also be subject to pre-use checks, detailed periodic inspections and interim inspections. To make things a little easier for you, below we outline the steps on how to carry out a pre-use check to ensure your harness is safe to use, along with a number of often-missed checkpoints.

Safety Harness Inspection - Visual and Tactile Inspections

• Label – Ensure the label of your safety harness includes the serial number, date of manufacturing and relevant standards.
• Webbing – Check webbing for any signs of damage such as warn or badly pulled webbing, cracks or fraying as well as loose stitching or fading which may indicate the structure of the fibres has been compromised.
• D-Rings – Inspect for signs of distortion, rust or fatigue and make sure the ring pivots freely.
• Buckles – Ensure all rivets are tight and buckles aren’t bent, chipped or have sharp edges sticking out and that all stitching is intact.
• Straps and rope – Check straps for signs of fraying or broken fibres. Inspect clips on straps and check for loose stitching.
• Plastic loops – Look out for cracked, damaged or broken loops.

Once all of these safety harness inspections are completed and you are satisfied with the condition of each part, your safety harness should be good to go. However, as we mentioned above, there are several checks that are often missed which may lead to potential accidents. We outline these below:

Additional Safety Harness Checks

1. Ultraviolet damage – One of the factors that impact the effectiveness of a safety harness is its exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Visually identifying degradation caused by UV rays can be difficult, but signs of flaking on the surface of the harness or any colour discolouration may be an easy sign to look out for. Other signs of chemical damage such as bur and fibred with a glazed appearance also have the ability to weaken the strength of the webbing.

2. Contamination – The level of dirt generated by the work area determined how contaminated a safety harness can be, resulting in excessive internal or external abrasion. Debris, sand or grit underneath the dorsal D-ring can lead to severe problems that workers at height often cannot see. Ensure that the harness, lanyards and other parts of a fall arrest system are properly cleaned and stored safety to easily maintain equipment integrity.

3. Worker competency – The competency of the individual carrying out work at height is one of the most important factors of any task, but is often one of the most neglected. No matter how good the condition of a safety harness is in if the person wearing it isn’t competent enough in the job, the chances of an accident occurring are always going to be high. Workers at height should develop the habit of applying their training when inspecting and using their safety harness and lanyard to ensure they are in the best position to conduct work.

By following the safety harness inspection steps above, you will no doubt reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring when working at height.

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Here at SLG, we strive to make working conditions as safe as possible by providing the highest quality safety equipment available. Our range of safety harnesses includes a variety of specialist types, suitable for a selection of tasks performed at height. These include rescue harnesses, fall arrest harnesses and multipurpose harnesses. All of which offer select features and abilities that aim to increase your safety and the safety of people around you. Regardless of the type of harness you choose to use for your specific task, you should still conduct a thorough check to ensure your safety and the safety of the people around you is not put into jeopardy.

If you work at height often and require new, quality equipment that will ensure your safety, then why not take a look at our collection of safety harnesses? We have a harness to suit every task and any budget, available for hire as well as full purchase. So, whether you need a harness for a one-off job or are looking to update your arsenal, SafetyLiftinGear is the place for you.

Browse Our Safety Harnesses >

If you would like more information on our range of safety harnesses, any individual product or how to check a safety harness before use, then please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team today!

The ultimate hazard of working at height is, of course, falling. You do not have to fall from a great height to injure yourself. The severity of your injury is determined by many factors including weight, age, how you land, and the surface you fall on.

When we hear the phrase ‘working at height’ it’s common to assume this refers to working on roofs or skyscrapers, but actually, the UK Health & Safety Executive defines it as "work carried out in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury".

If you or someone you employ is in ANY way capable of falling from a height and sustaining an injury, you must take the proper safety precautions. When trying to determine the risks of your workplace it may be necessary to do a height risk assessment. You can read more about this here: Working at Height Risk Assessment

Regardless of the height you work at, it’s important to remember that catastrophic injuries or even death can happen from falls of only a few feet. The hazards of working at height should not be underestimated, and it’s important to provide the proper equipment to ensure safety.

Common hazards of working at height

While falling is most likely the most common hazard of working at height, there are others to be aware of. These include:

• Dropping/falling equipment - Falling equipment can be fatal. It is vital that the proper height safety equipment is used to stop workers from being able to drop objects like tools from height.
  
  
• Insufficient PPE - If you or your workers are not wearing the required protective clothing, they are at risk of injury. Protective equipment such as hard hats can help to keep you or your employees safe.
  
  
• Lack of/poor risk assessment - A thorough risk assessment will identify and analyse any potential hazards to best prepare workers in the event of an incident. Inadequate risk assessment put everyone involved at risk.
  
  
• Inexperience - Mistakes happen, but knowingly allowing inexperienced members of staff to carry out tasks at height is extremely dangerous.

We provide various equipment to reduce the risk of falling such as safety harnesses, fall arrest blocks, and ladder safety kits. We also offer a working at height training course to ensure you know exactly how to keep yourself safe. 

Full Range of Height Safety Equipment 

If you have any further queries about how to keep you or anyone else safe from the hazards of working at height, feel free to get in touch. Our helpful team is more than happy to give you advice.