How often should a harness be inspected?
| Question | General industry | Construction |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-use | Before initial use during each workshift (1910.140(c)(18)) | Prior to each use (1926.502(d)(21)) |
| What to look for | Mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration | Wear, damage and other deterioration |
| After impact loading | Out of service until a competent person clears it (1910.140(c)(17)) | Out of service until a competent person clears it (1926.502(d)(19)) |
The full construction rules are on the 29 CFR 1926.502 page.
What to check on the harness, the lanyard and the SRL
The standards name the defects to look for; the manufacturer's instructions say where to look and set the limits, and they govern. The checklist follows the gear from the body out:
- Harness. Webbing free of cuts, frays, burns and chemical damage; stitching intact; D-rings, buckles and grommets sound; any fall indicator not deployed; labels legible.
- Fit. In construction, the attachment point sits in the center of the back near shoulder level, or above the head (1926.502(d)(17)).
- Lanyard or SRL. No cuts or knots, energy absorber intact, the lifeline pulls out, retracts and locks, the impact indicator not tripped.
- Connectors and anchorage. Locking snaphooks and carabiners (1926.502(d)(5); 1910.140(c)(9)) and an anchorage able to hold the load (1926.502(d)(15)).
After a fall
Gear that stopped a fall comes out of service at once and is used again only after a competent person inspects it and finds it undamaged and suitable for reuse (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(19)). In construction the employer also provides for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall, or makes sure they can rescue themselves (1926.502(d)(20)). And where the work runs under a 1926.502(k) fall protection plan, a fall or a related serious incident such as a near miss is investigated to decide whether the plan needs to change (1926.502(k)(10)).
Does a harness have an expiration date?
Not in the OSHA standards. A harness stays in service while it passes inspection and has not arrested a fall; the manufacturer's instructions set its service life and any periodic inspection they call for. The equipment lifecycle guide covers how to track that across a fleet. For the full picture of fall rules, the fall protection guide for construction walks through subpart M, and the residential roofing citations analysis shows where inspectors find the gaps. Check the clearance under the anchor with the free fall clearance calculator.
What OSHA cited most on personal fall arrest in FY2025
| Paragraph | What it covers | FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.502(d)(17) | Harness attachment point in the center of the back near shoulder level | 252 |
| 1926.502(d)(15) | Anchorages: 5,000 pounds per employee, or designed with a safety factor of two | 182 |
| 1926.502(d)(16)(iii) | Rigged so free fall stays within 6 feet and no lower level is struck | 103 |
| 1926.502(d) | Personal fall arrest systems: general provisions | 87 |
| 1926.502(d)(21) | Inspection prior to each use; defective components removed | 53 |
| 1926.502(d)(6)(i) | Snaphooks not engaged directly to webbing, rope or wire rope | 53 |
| 1910.140(c)(18) | Inspection before initial use during each workshift | 22 |
| 1910.140(d)(2)(ii) | Rigged so the employee cannot free fall more than 6 feet or contact a lower level | 16 |
| 1910.140(c)(13)(i) | Anchorages supporting at least 5,000 pounds per employee | 13 |
| 1910.140(c)(13)(ii) | Anchorages designed with a safety factor under a qualified person | 10 |
| 1910.140(d)(3) | Body belts prohibited in personal fall arrest systems | 6 |
| 1910.140(c)(22) | Harness attachment point in the center of the back near shoulder level | 5 |
1926.502: 1,229 citations in FY2025 at 878 inspections, 1,198 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1910.140: 97 citations in FY2025 at 72 inspections, 9 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). Citation items issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Questions about harness inspections
How often does OSHA require a harness inspection?
In construction, personal fall arrest systems are inspected prior to each use for wear, damage and other deterioration (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(21)). In general industry, personal fall protection systems are inspected before initial use during each workshift for mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration (1910.140(c)(18)). In both, defective components are removed from service.
Who can inspect a fall protection harness?
The pre-use inspection is usually done by the worker who wears it. After a system or component has been subjected to impact loading, it is used again only after a competent person inspects it and finds it undamaged and suitable for reuse (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(19); 1910.140(c)(17)). Manufacturers' instructions may also call for a periodic inspection by a competent person.
Does a fall protection harness expire?
OSHA sets no expiration date. A harness stays in service as long as it passes inspection and has not arrested a fall; the manufacturer's instructions set its service life and any periodic inspection they call for. Follow them, and write the date of manufacture from the label on the checklist.
What do I do with a harness after a fall?
Remove it from service immediately. A personal fall arrest system or component subjected to impact loading is not used again until a competent person inspects it and determines it undamaged and suitable for reuse (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(19)). In construction, the employer also provides for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall, or makes sure they can rescue themselves (1926.502(d)(20)).
How strong does a fall protection anchor need to be?
At least 5,000 pounds per employee attached, or designed, installed and used as part of a complete personal fall arrest system that maintains a safety factor of at least two, under the supervision of a qualified person (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(15)). General industry has the same pair of options (1910.140(c)(13)).
Do snaphooks have to lock?
Yes. In construction, only locking type snaphooks are used (29 CFR 1926.502(d)(5)). In general industry, snaphooks and carabiners are the automatic locking type that require at least two separate, consecutive movements to open (1910.140(c)(9)).
Sources and verification
- 29 CFR 1926.502, Fall protection systems criteria and practices
- 29 CFR 1910.140, Personal fall protection systems
- 29 CFR 1926.503, Training requirements
Verified against the eCFR on Oct 20, 2026 (title 29 current to Oct 16, 2026). State Plan states enforce their own standards, which may go further than the federal ones. Not legal advice.
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