Falls from height are considered one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, especially when considering fatal accidents. A full-body harness helps distribute impact forces and can prevent serious harm when working at height.
EN 361 sets the standard for fall arrest harnesses, ensuring they meet strict safety and performance requirements to protect the wearer against falls from a height.
To comply with EN 361, full-body harnesses must pass rigorous testing, providing reliable protection for workers in industries like construction, maintenance, and utilities.
The EN 361 standard
EN 361 is a European safety standard that specifies the requirements, test methods, marking, and information supplied by the manufacturer of, and packaging for, full body harnesses used in personal fall protection systems.
These harnesses are designed to distribute fall force across the body, minimizing injury during a fall arrest. EN 361 ensures full body harnesses meet specific performance criteria including dynamic performance, static strength, and corrosion resistance tests.
Other types of body support as specified in other European standards (e.g. EN 358, EN 813, or EN 1497) may be incorporated into the full body harness. Full arrest systems are specified in EN 363.
Compliance with EN 361 is essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of full body harnesses as personal protective equipment.
BS EN 361
While EN 361 is a European standard, it has also been adopted as a British Standard by BSI (British Standards Institution). The British equivalent standard is BS EN 361 meaning this safety standard applies in both the EU and the UK
EN 361:2002
The latest version of EN I361 is EN 361:2002. This standard was approved in July 2002. This updated version of EN 361 replaced the EN 361:1992 version of the standard.
The EN 361 requirements
The EN 361 standard sets the safety and performance requirements for full body harnesses used in fall arrest systems. This standard ensures harnesses are designed to safely distribute impact forces across the body in the event of a fall.
EN 361 outlines key requirements and test methods to ensure compliance. To comply with this standard, full body harnesses must meet specific criteria for:
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Design and ergonomics
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Materials and construction
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Performance requirements
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Strength requirements
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Corrosion resistance
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Marking and labelling
Design and ergonomics
The general requirements for the design and ergonomics of full body harnesses certified under EN 361 are specified in the EN 363 standard.
Materials and construction
EN 361 outlines specific requirements for the materials and construction of compliant full body harnesses.
Some material and construction requirements of this standard include, but are not limited to:
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the webbing and sewing threads are made from virgin filament or multifilament synthetic fibres suitable for their intended use;
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straps shall not migrate from position and shall not loosen by themselves;
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the width of the primary straps must be at least 40 mm and secondary straps must be at least 20 mm;
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the breaking tenacity of the synthetic fibre should be known to be at least 0.6 N/tex;
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and metallic fittings should conform to the corrosion protection requirements specified in EN 362.
The EN 361 test methods
Before a full body harness can be certified under EN 361, it must pass a series of rigorous tests.
Dynamic performance
The dynamic performance test measures the ability of the fall body harness to withstand a simulated fall.
This test is performed by using a torso dummy of 100 kg mass. During the test, the full body harness should be able to withstand two successive drop tests with an adjusted free fall distance of 4 m. One drop test should be performed with the torso dummy feet first and one drop test with the torso dummy head first.
During the dynamic performance tests, the full body harness should be able to withstand the drop without releasing the torso dummy. After each drop test, the torso dummy should be arrested in a head-up position and the angle between the longitudinal axis of the dorsal plane of the torso dummy and the vertical shall be a maximum of 50°.
Static strength
A static strength test should be conducted in accordance with EN 364. When tested at each attachment element, the full body harness should be able to withstand a force of 15 kN.
During the static strength test, the full body harness should not release the torso dummy. It must remain intact without breaking or experiencing excessive stretching.
Corrosion Resistance
The corrosion resistance test measures the ability of metallic components on the full body harness to provide a minimum resistance to environmental corrosion. This corrosion resistance test uses a neutral salt-spray test to measure the minimum resistance.
Products undergoing the corrosion resistance test are held within a sealed chamber which is filled with a salt-water mist. The tested products are subjected to either 24 or 48 hours exposure.
After the test, the metallic elements are examined for rusting and function to determine the level of corrosion resistance provided. To comply with EN 361, the components must show no significant signs of corrosion or a loss of functionality.
The EN 361 marking
The marking on full body harnesses that comply with EN 361 should conform to the marking requirements outlined in 2.2 of EN 365.
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The marking should also include:
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a pictogram to indicate that users should read the information supplied by the manufacturer;
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a capital letter “A” at each fall arrest attachment element;
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the model/type identification mark of the full body harness;
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And the number of this European standard (EN 361).
Information supplied by the manufacturer
EN 361 also specifies which information should be supplied by the manufacturer. This information must be provided in the languages of the country of destination, and should conform to 2.1 of EN 365.
EN 361 also specifies the minimum acceptable advice or information that should be included by the manufacturer. This includes, but is not limited to:
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The correct way to put on the full body harness
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The specific conditions under which the full body harness may be used
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The materials from which the full body harness is made
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How to clean the product, including disinfection, without adverse effect
Packaging
EN 361 specifies that full body harnesses should be supplied wrapped, but not necessarily sealed, in a material that provides some resistance against the penetration of moisture.
