Ensure the safety of your staff with the right harnesses for roofing. Learn about safety standards, the best harness options, and proper usage to prevent falls
Canada is one of the many countries where workplace safety is heavily regulated. That’s why when it comes to procuring PPEs, there can be many options. This makes selecting the best equipment for your workers’ needs complicated.
Choosing the best safety harness for roofing is no exception. Finding a roof safety harness that’s an optimum combination of reliability, durability, cost, and regulatory compliance is no easy task.
To assist you in finding the best safety equipment for your roofing workers, Canadian Occupational Safety provides you with a partial list, with ten of the best harnesses for roofing. In this article, we’ll also provide important information on the different classes of roofing harnesses, how to use a roof harness, and other relevant topics.
What are the best roof safety harnesses for your workforce?
Here are some of the top choices for safety harnesses for roofers. The best safety harnesses depend on the working conditions your roofers work under, like whether they work on a sloped roof or on the edge. The featured harnesses can be of varying classes and designs.
Here are 10 of the best possible options for roof safety harnesses, as recommended by experts.
1. MSA V-Fit Safety Harness
Construction: polyester webbing and thread stitching
Price range: $519.63 to $844.34
The MSA V-FIT safety harness has an athletic cut that conforms to the contours of the body, allowing for better upper torso movement and all-day comfort. Its soft shoulder padding helps eliminate pressure points and chafing.
With its patent-pending RaceFLEXs buckle, users can have a close, comfortable, full-body fit. The Race FLEX connection lays out webbing across the chest for a secure and comfortable fit, doing away with the need for bulky chest straps or cumbersome buckles.
2. Pure Safety Group S1 Harness
Construction material: polyester webbing and galvanized steel D-ring
Price range: $81.07 to $560.30
For optimized comfort, safety, and durability, the PSG S1 Harness is made from a variety of materials. Mainly composed of polyester webbing and a galvanized steel D-ring, this harness also features a back pad made of Drilex, and a sturdy belt strap made of nylon and leather.
This harness has various connection point options for use in multiple applications. It has a chest strap captivation for high performance. The harness comes in four sizes to accommodate the needs of differently sized workers and provide an optimal fit.
Its most notable feature is its webbing, which is water-repellent and in contrasting colours. This sort of webbing enhances the inspection process, making damage more visible. For increased durability, the ends of the webbing are folded and stitched. Rubber web keepers keep loose straps secure and prevent them from interfering with work. These features make the S1 among the best harnesses for roofing in Canada.
3. Capital Safety DBI-SALA ExoFit STRATA harness
What’s unique about the DBI-SALA ExoFit STRATA safety harness is that it may be one of the few full-body safety harnesses designed and tested with data-driven, third-party research. The result is a harness that is more comfortable, cooler and lighter than many other harnesses on the market.
According to its manufacturer, the harness has a technology called LIFTech Load Distribution System, which takes the weight off a worker’s shoulders and chest, redistributing it down to the hips. This reduces the load on the shoulders by up to 85% when compared to other harnesses.
For improved comfort, the harness even has a PolarMesh padding on the back, allowing better air flow.
4. 3M DBI-SALA ExoFit X-Series safety harnesses
Construction: polyester webbing, nylon-polyester hybrid comfort padding, and alloy steel or lightweight aluminum D-rings
Price range: $639.00 to $706.20
This is a line of safety harnesses from 3M Canada’s Fall Protection line. Ranging from the ExoFit X100, X200, and X300.
Exofit X100 – this model is designed with high-quality components for enhanced safety and comfort while working at heights. The X100 comfort harness features polyester webbing rated up to 6,000lb, nylon-polyester hybrid comfort padding and alloy steel hardware. The X100 also comes in different configurations with exclusive weight distribution systems that help workers reduce shoulder strain and fatigue.
Exofit X200 – this harness is designed with high-quality components that have been developed to enhance the harness' safety, fit, and functionality while doing work from a considerable height. The X200 is similarly built with 6,000lb polyester webbing, nylon-polyester hybrid comfort padding and alloy steel hardware. Dorsal D-ring connections are faster and easier, owing to its stand-up back D-ring.
Exofit X300 – the X300 was developed to enhance safety, convenience and performance for those who work at great heights. As with the other models it has 6,000lb polyester webbing and robust nylon-polyester hybrid comfort padding. What sets the X300 apart from the other models is its reflective 3M Scotchlite panels and lightweight aluminum hardware.
5. Honeywell H700 full-body safety harness
Construction: 3D knitted, multilayered, breathable fabric
Price range: $119.25 to $845.00
This safety harness is based on advanced ergonomic research findings to optimize safety and comfort for users. The Honeywell H700’s key features include the One-Pull Trauma Relief Steps, a patented mechanism that lets suspended users deploy steps for standing up in the harness. This feature significantly relieves pressure on arteries and veins and can prevent serious injuries.
Another key feature of this harness is its Pivot Strap Adjuster. This allows users to increase their mobility and comfort by allowing them to customize their leg strap adjustments. Users can more easily crouch, bend, or crawl while wearing this harness. Finally, this is one of the few safety harnesses for roofing that have a self-retracting lifeline.
6. KStrong Kapture Essential+ construction harness
Construction: polyester webbing, alloy steel hardware, polyester stitching thread
Price range: $89.50 to $115.00
The KStrong Kapture Essential+ is an excellent choice for roofing jobs. Not only does this safety harness for roofing workers feature a sufficiently padded back, legs, and waist belt, its dorsal attachment and two side D-rings are there to arrest falls.
It’s an extremely useful, utilitarian harness, as its leg straps feature grommets that let workers attach their roofing or other tools like a bag of nails or screws. The main parts are made of polyester with a breaking strength of 5,000 pounds.
7. Palmer Safety Hammerhead safety harness
Construction: high-tenacity polyester webbing, steel or steel alloy D-rings
Price range: $74.68 to $122.47
The Hammerhead model is well known among oil rig and construction workers due to its quality materials and sturdy construction. Its steel D-rings in the dorsal and hip areas that can support up to 420 pounds do a great job of keeping wearers from hitting the ground.
Its quick-connect chest lets workers put on or remove the harness with little to no effort. The harness’ buckles and straps are easily adjustable, even if the wearer is using the best work gloves or other protective equipment.
8. Peakworks FBH-70110G Peakpro Plus Harness with Positioning Belt
Construction: polyester webbing, anodized aluminum hardware
Price range: $506.19 to $728.91
This harness is certified to CSA Z259.10. It has a capacity of 310 lbs. (140 kg), which includes the weight of the wearer, their tools, and their clothing.
Designed for durability and comfort, this full-body harness has additional padding and aluminum hardware. It features dorsal, shoulder, and side D-rings for maximum safety and stability. Peakpro is among the best safety harnesses for roofing jobs in Canada.
9. Petzl AVAO BOD full-body safety harness
Construction: nylon, polyester, aluminum, steel
Price range: $685.00 to $740.00
This full-body harness affords a full range of motion for those working over long shifts. For better support, the Petzl AVAO BOD comes with a semi-rigid waist belt and leg loops.
Its self-locking double-back buckles make adjusting its fit easier. The five-point adjustable fall arrest harness uses specialized materials that prevent chafing and heat build-up while working.
10. Buckingham Linepro Tower Harness
Construction: nylon, premium leather, steel hardware
Price range: $1,245.35 to $1,341.00
The Buckingham brand has been around since 1896 and still offers an elite product lineup. Some of its roofer kits not only offer the proper safety features, but are made with top of the line, ultra-soft, distressed leather for a unique aesthetic quality.
The Linepro Tower Harness is a great example of this. This safety harness for roofing features a body belt made of premium leather that enhances both comfort and durability during use. The friction buckles and D-rings are made of high-grade steel. The harness itself is made of nylon with a high tensile strength. It also has wide leg pads for added comfort, front and rear buckles to ensure a proper fit, and various rings, snaps, and tool loops for enhanced utility.
How to pick the right safety harness for roofing work
When choosing a harness for roofing work, basing your choice on cost and durability is valid. However, the only sure way to choose the right harness is to refer to these standards:
- CSA Z259.17: Selection and use of active fall-protection equipment and system
- CSA Z259.12: Connecting components for personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
- CSA Z259.16: Design of active fall-protection systems
- CSA Z259.10-18: Full body harnesses
- CSA Z259.11-17: Personal energy absorbers and lanyards
- CSA Z259.15-22: Anchorage connectors
Keep in mind, however, that the CSA standards listed above are federal regulations. The regulations on roof safety equipment can vary across the other provinces and territories, so it’s advisable to refer to the rules specific to your location.
It should be noted that if you have suppliers or choose to buy harnesses from the US, you can base your choices on the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) rules on fall protection systems.
Why roofers in Canada need safety harnesses: legal & practical reasons
For roofers and other professions that require working at great heights, safety harnesses are a vital piece of safety equipment. A harness for roofing work is designed to effectively prevent falls and restrict movement outside of safe areas.
Workers who may ordinarily be unaware of safety rules would also be unaware of the existence of fall hazards and how to avoid them in their jobsites.
As for the legal reasons for using a safety harness for roofing in Canada, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS) decrees that employers should provide fall protection systems for workers at risk of falling from a height of three meters or more. Check the CCOHS regulations to know more about federal laws about fall protection, specifically sections 12.01 to 12.09.
Remember, violating or neglecting these regulations can result in heavy penalties. This is apart from the potential injury or worse, death of workers, which can lead to lawsuits and loss of industry reputation.
These systems must be provided in addition to the personal protective equipment (PPE) that workers must wear on the job.
Do employers have to provide harnesses for roofing work?
Generally, yes, but this can vary across provinces. While Section 12.09 mentions that employers have to provide this type of PPE, the rules on employers providing such can vary. You can check our guide about employers providing PPEs to their workers.
How to use a full-body harness
Harnesses for roofing come in many design variations, but there is a standard way for putting them on and using them. For most harnesses, here’s how to properly wear them:
- Step 1. Place the harness on your shoulders like a jacket
- Step 2. Adjust the harness so the dorsal D-ring lies between your shoulder blades
- Step 3. Adjust the sub-pelvic strap so it rests just below your buttocks
- Step 4. Secure the leg straps such that you can only fit two or three fingers under them
- Step 5. Adjust the chest strap, positioning it in the middle of your chest
- Step 6. Adjust all the straps until the harness has a snug (but not tight) fit
- Step 7. Secure any dangling strap ends
You can check the fit by standing up straight and using a mirror or have a partner check that the harness fits snugly but not tight. If a harness feels too tight or too loose, it's not safe to use.
Due to the potential injuries or even loss of life, plus the accompanying safety regulations, companies that do roofing work should definitely invest in the best safety harnesses. Bear in mind also that these harnesses also need other features like snap hooks for anchor points and lanyards or rope to secure the wearer.
So which safety harness for roofing are you inclined to provide to your workforce? Tell us in the comments
