INTRODUCTION TO harness EN RATINGS
One of the most common requests we receive from both end users and resellers is simply:
"I need a harness."
The challenge is that "a harness" doesn't tell us how it will be used. Is it for Fall Arrest? Work Positioning? Rope Access? Rescue? Each application requires different features and different safety certifications.
This often leads to a few extra questions from our sales team so we can recommend the correct harness for the job. After all, just because one harness has a certain feature doesn't mean every harness is designed or certified to do the same thing.
That's where EN ratings come in.
These standards tell us exactly what a harness has been tested and certified to do, helping you choose the right equipment for your application.
When people first see ratings like EN 361, EN 358, EN 813, or EN 1497, they often think they need to memorize a long list of numbers.
The good news is that it's much simpler than that.
The easiest way to understand harness standards is to stop looking at the numbers and start looking at the job each attachment point is designed to do.
Think of a harness like a toolbox.
Every tool inside that toolbox has a different purpose.
- A hammer drives nails.
- A screwdriver turns screws.
- A spanner tightens bolts.
They all belong in the same toolbox, but each one has a specific job.
A harness works exactly the same way.
Every attachment point has a job.
Use the wrong one and you're asking a screwdriver to be a hammer.
The EN rating tells us what a particular attachment point has been tested and approved to do.
We're going to focus on four of the most common standards found in height safety, rope access, and rescue.
EN 361 catches you.
- These are the attachment points designed to stop a fall.
- If you fall from height, these are the points designed to save your life.
- Think of EN 361 as the attachment point that says: "I've got you."
EN 358 holds you.
- These attachment points are used together with a work positioning lanyard to keep you stable while working.
- The lanyard does the holding.
- The attachment points provide the connection.
- Think of EN 358 as the attachment point that says: "Stay right there."
EN 813 hangs you.
- This attachment point is designed for suspension and rope access work.
- If you are climbing, descending, ascending, or working while suspended, this is the point doing the work.
- EN 813 does not mean a separate sit harness.
- The explanation for EN 813 is that the harness is a sit harness used on Work Positioning, restraint and Rope Access.
- It does not refer to a Sit type harness but the fact that you are in a harness that allows you to sit when suspended.
- Think of EN 813 as the attachment point that says: "Hang here."
EN 1497 rescues you.
- This standard applies to rescue harnesses and rescue attachment points.
- These are designed for lifting, lowering, and recovering a casualty during a rescue operation.
- Think of EN 1497 as the attachment point that says: "Let's get you home."
The Easy Version to better understand the ratings:
- EN 361 catches you.
- EN 358 holds you.
- EN 813 hangs you.
- EN 1497 rescues you.
Every attachment point has a job.
Choose the right attachment point for the job you're doing.
by Amanda Hannibal