Safety Vest vs. Safety Harness: Which is the Best Option for Construction Workers?

For decades, construction employees have put on safety vests while on duty. Reflection is a safeguarding aspect for workers, motorists, or team working on equipment for people to notice them from a distance.

But times have transitioned, and new directives for construction workers to put on reflective safety harnesses have come up. Safety harnesses are safer and come with a better fit. This article highlights why construction management stresses their workers to wear reflective safety harnesses.

Reflective Safety Harness

Reflective safety harnesses are in the category of personal protective equipment (PPE) specifically made for construction safety. Harnesses are primarily categorized according to the place they are being worn. Staffs working in the off-road site need to put on type “O” or type “P” harness for public safety-related tasks. 

Workers tasked with giving traffic direction need to put on the type “R” reflective vests. A reflective safety harness offers comfortable, calm, and fitting visibility vests compared to contemporary ones.

Safety Harness Help to Reduce Accidents

Since safety harnesses are comfortable, easy to put on, and easily noticed by people on the construction site, they result in protected working settings. Together with other PPEs like goggles and hard hats, these harnesses are essential for keeping the construction site safe.

Reflective Safety Harnesses have an Improved Fitting.

Reflective safety harnesses are safer than vests because they fit better. Vests come in large sizes and are designed for men. As a result, women putting on reflective vests feel less protected. Since they come in large sizes, they increase slip and fall chances resulting in construction injuries. Luckily, the safety harness has a better fitting that helps reduce slip and fall accidents.

They are Non-Allergenic

Safety vests get oily quickly or can be immersed in grime, making the cleaning and maintenance more complicated. This can result in skin infections due to severe irritation and the development of rashes, unlike the safety harnesses, which are resistant to oils and hence easy to clean. Safety harnesses are also easy to clean, as oils or grease don’t permanently stick on them.

They are associated with Cutting down Costs.

Apart from safeguarding the wearers, safety harnesses help one to cut expenses. Employers and workers can save more funds on replacing and maintaining reflective vests. These harnesses are secure and help to reduce operating expenses enabling entrepreneurs to operate effectively.

Common Safety Vests Buttons Can Result to Worksite Accidents

Upon becoming loose, the safety vest buttons and zippers can easily get hooked to devices, which can easily cause slip and fall injuries. Additionally, a loose safety vest can accidentally result in haphazard or unnecessary injuries. Safety harnesses have flexible waists and shoulder straps for better fitting, reducing construction injuries.

Also read: Top Trends in Construction in 2022

Conclusion

Now that you have learned the notable differences, it’s time to invest in safety reflective harnesses; they come with highly significant benefits than their counterparts. Safety harnesses are essential to construction settings and have been proven to reduce fall and slip injuries, saving more workers’ lives.