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Sizing Up Fall Protection By Terri Piasecki
Editor’s Note: In April, the International Powered Access Federation called for a radical re-examination of harnesses used by female operators of boom-type mobile elevating work platforms, noting these machines are increasingly used by women. Lift and Access asked Terri Piasecki, president of Peak Safety & Supply Inc., Apex, N.C., which operates CharmandHammer.com, an online safety store for appropriate fitting professional grade women's safety equipment, for her insight on the demand for fall protection harnesses designed for female aerial lift operators.
August 25, 2009 – Should fall protection harnesses be different for women? After all, fall hazards are certainly not gender specific. Whether an aerial work platform operator is a man or woman, working at heights exposes all operators to fall hazards, and protection is needed when the hazard cannot be avoided. On the surface, it appears to be a simple question, but the solution to gender-specific equipment is not as simple.
Like most personal protective equipment, sizing of harnesses is largely based on old data and outdated technology. Numerous standards and organizations govern all aspects of personal protective equipment worldwide, but none specifically address sizing. In 2007, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society published the study, “Evaluation of Fall Arrest Harness Sizing Schemes,” which determined a significant need to re-evaluate the sizing of fall protection harnesses. Most notably, the study included different genders and ethnicities and measured how the current harnesses fit and functioned. More information is expected to come on this subject in the HFES journal in the coming months.
At present, most manufacturers use two to four semi-universal size groups for fitting fall harnesses. The study found that the current semi-universal harness sizing did not fit 24 percent of men and 31 percent of women. After extensive testing and measuring using high-tech methods, such as 3D body scanning, new sizing models for fall harnesses have been recommended. These new size groups include different sizes for women and men and would fit and function for 96 percent of the current workforce—a significant improvement. Take one look at the current manufacturer sizing charts, and you will note that they are still using the antiquated universal unisex sizing. The specifications need to be officially updated to include these sizing recommendations.
The ANSI Z359.1 safety requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components was originally published in 1992 and later revised in 1999 for editorial changes only. In November 2007, fi ve subsections were added to the standard, but none of these sections specifi cally address sizing or fit. Twelve additional subsections to Z359.1 are in development, but no effective completion dates have been announced. One can hope that sizing recommendations based on gender will be addressed by the subcommittee in charge of this standard.
Addressing the sexes
Fortunately, there is one harness available for women. Introduced by Miller Fall Protection (Sperian) in 1998, the Ms. Miller is the only full-body harness on the market specifically designed to fit women. It was designed by two female engineers and is quite different than standard men’s fall protection harnesses. The Ms. Miller is modeled after a rock climber’s harness.
Enlarge Image The Ms. Miller harness is modeled after a rock climber's harness.
Keep in mind that the two major differences of the female body are the chest and pelvic areas. The Ms. Miller design addresses both of these differences quite adequately and is offered in a variety of sizes (XXS to XXL) based on height, weight, and waist measurements. In lieu of a cross chest-style harness, this uniquely designed harness keeps shoulder straps at the side and away from the chest. Though men have inquired about the comfort of this harness, Ms. Miller is not recommended for men, as it is specifically designed for a woman’s body, particularly in the hip and pelvic area, and distributes fall forces much differently than standard harnesses, which were designed for men. Support straps were added to the front of the harness, connecting the leg straps to the waist strap to reduce the outward forces or spread eagle, wishbone effect. In addition, the waist pad and leg pads relieve stress on the lower back. The Ms. Miller meets ANSI A10.32, Z359.1, and CZA Z259.10-06 specifications.
Other manufacturers offer unisex cross chest- or crossover-style harnesses. Manufacturers suggest that those are suitable for women, but oftentimes this is not specifically stated in their literature, which may contribute to the confusion of selecting appropriate equipment.
The question of proper fitting equipment for women has been around for many years. Today we see more women in a wide variety of jobs that were predominantly held by men just a decade ago, emphasizing the need for appropriate equipment for each worker. In addition, the current workforce is shaped much differently than the military subjects from the 1970s, which reinforces the need to adjust sizing. The bright side is that respiratory protection went through the same dilemma—ill-fitting equipment based on old data—and just a few years ago that industry was able to successfully revise its sizing to meet the needs of the current diverse workforce.
