Safety harness and lanyard inspection checklist
Version 1 · https://conformata.io/checklists/construction/harness-lanyard-inspection-checklist · Made with Conformata. Guidance, not legal advice; sources at https://conformata.io/checklists/construction/harness-lanyard-inspection-checklist/sources
Safety harness and lanyard inspection checklist
Free safety harness and lanyard inspection checklist based on 29 CFR 1926.502(d): webbing, stitching, D-rings, connectors, lanyards and before-use checks.
How often: Before each use. Also after any fall or impact: equipment that has arrested a fall stays out of service until a competent person inspects it and decides it can be reused.
- Sections
- 6
- Checks
- 34
- Critical
- 14
- Sources
- 29
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Harness serial number or ID tag *
Lanyard or self-retracting device serial number or ID tag *
Connecting device used with the harness *
Shock-absorbing (energy-absorbing) lanyardSelf-retracting lifeline or lanyardRope grab on a vertical lifeline
Date of inspection *
Name of the worker who will wear it *
Manufacturer's labels on the harness and lanyard are present and readable, including model and date of manufacture *
YesNo
Bend webbing gently in a U shape along its whole length to reveal surface damage.
The fall arrest equipment is a full body harness, not a body belt *
YesNo
Harness webbing is free of cuts, frays, burns, holes, melted spots, chemical damage and hard or stiff areas *
YesNo
Stitching is complete, with no pulled, broken, cut or burned threads *
YesNo
The back D-ring sits between the shoulder blades and is not bent, cracked, pitted or sharp-edged *
YesNo
Buckles and adjusters are not bent, cracked or corroded, close fully and hold the webbing without slipping *
YesNo
The harness has arrested a fall, or its fall (impact) indicator has been activated *
YesNo
The harness is adjusted to the wearer, with chest and leg straps fastened as the manufacturer shows *
YesNo
Lanyard webbing or rope is free of cuts, fraying, burns, knots, kinks and chemical damage *
YesNoN/A
The energy absorber pack is closed and intact, with no tearing, stretching or deployed stitching *
YesNoN/A
The self-retracting device pulls out and retracts smoothly along its full length and locks when the line is jerked *
YesNoN/A
The self-retracting device's housing is not cracked and its line has no broken wires, cuts, kinks or corrosion *
YesNoN/A
The self-retracting device's impact indicator shows it has arrested a fall *
YesNoN/A
Lanyard and harness rope and webbing are made of synthetic fiber *
YesNo
Every snaphook and carabiner is a locking type that closes and locks by itself *
YesNo
Gates and keepers close fully and lock on their own, without sticking, bending or wobbling *
YesNo
Connectors have no cracks, distortion, sharp or rough edges, or corrosion *
YesNo
No snaphook will be clipped to webbing, rope, another snaphook or a D-ring already holding a connector, unless it is a locking type designed for that *
YesNo
The planned anchor is independent of any platform support and rated for 5,000 lb (22.2 kN) per worker attached, or is part of a complete system with a safety factor of at least two, designed, installed and used under a qualified person *
YesNo
The lanyard will not be tied off to a guardrail or a hoist *
YesNo
There is enough clearance below that the worker cannot free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m) or hit a lower level *
YesNo
Where a vertical lifeline is used, only one worker is attached to it and the line is protected from cuts and abrasion
YesNoN/A
The harness and lanyard are used only for worker protection, not to hoist materials *
YesNo
A way to promptly rescue the worker after a fall is arranged, or the worker can rescue themselves *
YesNo
The worker has been trained to inspect and use this equipment *
YesNo
Decision *
No defects: fit for useDefective or has arrested a fall: removed from service and tagged
Describe each defect and which component it is on
Photos of defects
Use “Photo” below to add photos from this device.
Inspector's signature
Sign the printed copy, or sign electronically in Conformata.
I inspected this harness, lanyard and connectors before use as recorded above.
Signature
Name and date
Run it with your team in Conformata
- Schedule it per site and assign it to the right people.
- Turn every failed check into a corrective action that someone else verifies.
- Keep signatures, photos and the full audit history across sites.
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Frequently asked questions
How often should a safety harness and lanyard be inspected?
Before each use, for wear, damage and other deterioration [21]. The federal rule does not set a separate periodic interval; follow the manufacturer's instructions and your company program for that.
What happens to a harness or lanyard after it stops a fall?
Can a body belt be used instead of a full body harness?
Built from 29 official sources
Every check traces to the text it is based on. Read the purpose, how to use it, the rules behind it, what it does not cover and every source.
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Guidance, not legal advice. It does not replace the law, the manufacturer's instructions or your organization's competent people, and completing it does not certify that work is safe.