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Technical Bulletin

Capital Safety U.S.A
3833 SALA Way
Red Wing, MN 55066-5005
T: +1 (0) 651.388.8282 F: +1 (0)651.388.5065

www.capitalsafety.com
Subject

Fall / Impact Indicators in Full Body Harnesses
Region: USA Language: EN Number : TB0027 Revision : A
Total Page: 1 Page n: 1 First Issue: 02/2014 Rev. Date: 2/28/2014

Harnesses involved in falls and impacted are required by OSHA, ANSI, CSA and CE regulations
to be removed from service. Existing and proposed regulations require full body harnesses to
have fall indicators built into harnesses. This feature is included to facilitate inspection of the
harness. Capital Safety has been building various types of fall indicators in most of our
harnesses for many years.
On DBI/SALA Exofit XP harnesses, fall indicators are built into the dorsal D-ring. When Exofit
XP harnesses are involved in a fall, the red indicator is exposed and the d-ring is retained within
the harness webbing. This orange indicator helps users and competent persons determine that
harnesses were involved in a fall and should be removed from service.

Exofit XP harness dorsal D-rings will activate and expose the orange indicator when a force of
450-650 Lbs. has been applied. Indicated dorsal D-rings cannot be re-set or repaired. During
some activities such as training exercises where a student is suspended or bouncing while
positioning or is jolted during training, 450-650 lbs. of force could be applied to dorsal D-rings
and could expose the indicator. This occurs even though no fall happened to the student.

Recommendations: Capital Safety recommends that Exofit XP harnesses be used for training
which will not involve suspension by the dorsal D-ring or rescue. Capital Safety recommends
using harnesses like Exofit Nex, Exofit or Delta style harnesses when positioning, suspension or
rescue from dorsal D-ring is part of training exercises. These models contain other types of fall
impact indicators that are typically not affected by suspension, positioning or rescue activities.

When an indicator has been exposed during training exercises and no free fall has occurred,
Capital Safety allows the harness with exposed fall / impact indictor to be used for further
training exercises provided that a competent person has inspected and found the harness
acceptable and in good workable condition except for the indicted dorsal D-ring.

If an Exofit XP harness shows impact indication on the dorsal D-ring and has not been involved
in a fall, suspension or rescue where a force of 450 -650 lbs. was applied, please contact Capital
Safety for further information.