Overcab Safety Harnesses

[mwlpm]

With increasing emphasis on health and safety issues regarding working at height and especially on overcab units we have seen a variety of safety harnesses introduced into the market. They appear to be great if used when carrying out repairs that do not require a lot of movement around the unit or if the unit is not running, but I do have some concerns over possible dangers of loose lanyards or straps in an area of working machinery.
I would be interested in engineers experiences and views.

[abbsnowman]

Boy are you on the money. 5 years ago I fell off the top of a truck when a ladder attached to the truck came off. I was luckey I only destroyed my shoulder and collar bone and not my back or neck.
I have often thought of making a harness based on the ones used for repelling. Maybe a retractable type like in the movie Mission Impossable or Oceans 11. If they can do it, why can't we? OE's would have to get on board and put hangers for attaching grapples but hey, a guy can dream!

[absolute-zero]

Boy are you on the money. 5 years ago I fell off the top of a truck when a ladder attached to the truck came off. I was luckey I only destroyed my shoulder and collar bone and not my back or neck.
I have often thought of making a harness based on the ones used for repelling. Maybe a retractable type like in the movie Mission Impossable or Oceans 11. If they can do it, why can't we? OE's would have to get on board and put hangers for attaching grapples but hey, a guy can dream!

Hey I always thought falling off reefer scaffolds or cab walks was always a great topic to talk about during shop safety meetings.

Sometime we dont even fall off but rather jump off these high elevated areas in efforts to get away from the poisonous phosgene gas when unbrazing refig lines, or have a refrig leak that is being drawn through the intake system of a internal combustion engine.

Either way I have never plunged off a scaffold or cab walk by slipping but have had to jump off volunteerly to get away from the nasty smelling Hydrofloric or hydrochloric acids in both occasions.

This is one of those catch 22 situations be harnessed to prevent a fall that will cause great bodily injury or have the ability to get the hell out of dodge when you need to. after all the fall cant be more than 10 feet at most, its the objects that you fall on that can be bad.

As I have always said in the past falling has never really bothered me, its that sudden stop after you fall thats a biotch.

A-Z

[Brian_UK]

Just a thought guys, with 'fall arrest' systems you could still jump off the cab top but be pulled up short of hitting the ground.

You've just got to find an anchor point somewhere up there first. :D

[absolute-zero]

Just a thought guys, with 'fall arrest' systems you could still jump off the cab top but be pulled up short of hitting the ground.

You've just got to find an anchor point somewhere up there first. :D

Maybe a bungy jump cord.:D

[mwlpm]

Just a thought guys, with 'fall arrest' systems you could still jump off the cab top but be pulled up short of hitting the ground.

You've just got to find an anchor point somewhere up there first. :D

At least one of the manufacturers is trying to come up with a solution (see attached). Carrier have developed a harness for use by their engineers which uses the unit lifting eyes as the anchorage points. I'm not sure though where the straps are going to end up though when the engineer leans forward to pick up tools or check something when the unit is running. Getting up and down ladders could be hazardous with those trailing straps and the risk of snagging.

Anybody had the use of one of these yet?

[absolute-zero]

At least one of the manufacturers is trying to come up with a solution (see attached). Carrier have developed a harness for use by their engineers which uses the unit lifting eyes as the anchorage points. I'm not sure though where the straps are going to end up though when the engineer leans forward to pick up tools or check something when the unit is running. Getting up and down ladders could be hazardous with those trailing straps and the risk of snagging.

Anybody had the use of one of these yet?

I still dont like the idea of being tied up and not having the ability to make a quick get away.

I agree with you on the straps with potentiols of being caught or dragged in by unit drive components.

There has to be a better way.

[abbsnowman]

Spiderman would have made a great truck unit guy!

[tspgr]

Spiderman would have made a great truck unit guy!

No no the ather from fantastic four that hes like rubber ..

think of it at the back bolts of an sl 400 compressor.. :D

[djbe]

At least one of the manufacturers is trying to come up with a solution (see attached). Carrier have developed a harness for use by their engineers which uses the unit lifting eyes as the anchorage points. I'm not sure though where the straps are going to end up though when the engineer leans forward to pick up tools or check something when the unit is running. Getting up and down ladders could be hazardous with those trailing straps and the risk of snagging.

Anybody had the use of one of these yet?

Hi guys,

I have had to use a harness for around a year at a local site. To me the Carrier one looks positively dangerous, probably some marketing bull.

Mine is a full body harness i.e two straps round the legs and two round the shoulders. You step into it and hook it over your shoulders then connect the link in front of your chest. The lanyard connects to the back of the harness and is 2mtrs. long. I link it to the lifting eye on the central strut of most TK's or have a girder strop that can wrap around any form of crossmember if no eye is available.

The lanyard naturally drops away to the back of your body so is clear of belts/ fans etc. but you do have to remain aware of the dangers.

Do is help or improve safety? Yes it probably does, at least if I fall of the truck i will only be smashing through the windscreen!

Is it user friendly? Is it F***. Total pain in the arse, the number of times I have climbed up the ladder, connected the harness thought hang on I need a spanner gone to go down the ladder and been yanked back by said harness!!!!!!!

Plus it makes you sweat like a bitch in the summer (on top of the hi vis).

cheers,
djbe

[The Fox]

this issue has been kicked around for years, the only good solution is a purpose built gantry/working platform. all repair workshops should have them and customers requiring on site service should also be required to have them.at some point somebody will be killed falling off, mybe then we will get some legislation banning working on cab roofs without safe platforms.