Fall Arrest, Harnesses & Lanyards

The Cadillac of Safety Harnesses! If you go high, you'll want the Petzl AVAO.

Petzl, for years known as the best in mountain climbing gear, has produced this full body / sit harness for industrial use. It's lightweight, comfortable and there are no loose straps to catch on the truss or lamps.

Of course this class III harness meets ANSI A10.14-1991 and Z359.1-2007. Not only does it meet these OSHA standards, but Petzl is the ONLY company having a third party (Underwriters Laboratories) test the harnesses to verify that they actually meet these standards including the front sternal "D" ring. It is fully and completely labeled to meet OSHA standards.

Domestic mail is not available for this product. Putting on most harnesses is like is like trying to figure out a Chinese jigsaw puzzle -- not so with the Petzl AVAO. Put it on and take it off like a pair of pants. It couldn't be easier. Once you've got it on, just cinch the two waist straps and then the two leg straps and you're snugged in--waist and leg adjustments are finished. And the straps won't loosen while you're working either. Flip the shoulder strap over your head like a pair of suspenders and clip the INCLUDED steel quick-link into the front tie-in point. That's all there is to putting on the Petzl AVAO.

The padding is new and better than the older highly rated C71. The padded belt is 5" wide and the padded legs are 3 1/2" wide. There are five forged D rings: Two in the front--one for sitting work and the sternal ring for confined space rescue. Two on the sides are for use in positioning like a telephone lineman. The one in the back attaches to a fall arrest system. And there are tool loops on the belt too.

And what happens if you should accidentally fall? The straps are made so that the pressure of the fall is transferred to the leg straps to protect your back and make it more comfortable for you to wait for rescue.

The Petzl AVAO comes in two sizes: The #1: Small to Large and the #2: Large to Extra Large. The AVAO continues to have greater adjustability which makes it fit better than other models. Now, just because you're tall or have a large chest measurement doesn't mean you have to wear a large. Pick your size according to the information below.

Small to Large #1: waist= 27.6" to 39.4" leg = 19.7" to 25.6" fits heights to 6'1" approx. Large to Extra Large #2: waist = 31.5" to 55.1" leg = 23.6" to 29.5" fits heights to 6'7" approx.

You must use a manyard (lanyard) with all safety harnesses.

FAQ: Hey John, what's the deal with the UL rating? We all know that's for electric.
Answer: Right you are, but there's more to the story. Underwriters Laboratories is a private safety testing facility highly regarded for it's electrical testing, but it's not limited to electrical testing alone.

Around 1996 Petzl was just getting into the industrial full body harness business. Prior to that they were a premier European mountain climbing manufacturer. Their harnesses carried the CE label which is a European safety standard more rigorous than ANSI standards. Petzl quickly found out they still needed the ANSI labels on their harnesses in the United States in order to comply with OSHA. They also learned that OSHA doesn't TEST harnesses to certify they meet their requirements -- the manufacturers are left to test their own equipment. So simply put, if the manufacturer says their harness meets OSHA requirements and sews a label into the harness saying that it does -- then it's what we call "OSHA approved."

Petzl felt that self-testing didn't prove anything so they went to the Underwriter Laboratories as an outside, non-biased third party testing facility. Now rather than Petzl alone testing their harnesses and just saying "yup, they comply," a non-biased third party (UL) also tests the harness and proves that when Petzl says their harness complies, it really does.

Only Petzl has outside, non-biased proof that their harnesses are exactly what they say they are -- and that's a huge "plus" in my book.

Don’t trust your life to just any lanyard that’s laying around.

If you’re concerned enough to have your own harness, be sure to have a lanyard you can trust. The six foot long standard lanyard is specially folded, stitched and covered with protective plastic to provide shock absorption. In the event of a fall, the stitching rips open to slow your decent. Clip one end of this lanyard to the back D ring on your harness and the other end to the Surety Horizontal Life Line above you. Steel hooks, 6' leg.

Ties around beams, etc. and back to itself. Here's a lanyard that's specifically made for those instances when you don't have a proper tie-off point for standard lanyards. The hook is designed to take the stress of a fall no matter what it's orientation.Specifically designed for tie-back use, it features a SofStop shock absorber pack, locking 5K snap hooks, locking snap hook (3/4" gate opening), and heavy duty Cordura nylon webbing. Meets all applicable OSHA, ANSI, and CSA requirements.

Same as the Double “Y” Lanyard w/ small hooks except it has two 2½” wide-opening gate hooks which fit over stage pipe, truss members or scaffolding. This is my favorite lanyard style because you can never get into a situation where your lanyard isn’t useable. Steel hooks, 5’ legs

Provides the extra safety of always being attached to a safe point. Extra safety when moving from point to point. Clip one of the lanyards to your new position before unclipping from the old. Similar to the standard lanyard except it has two legs with stitched shock absorbers and single hook to attach to your back. Steel hooks, 5' legs.

Protection while climbing the rope ladder. The retractable steel cable attaches to the rear “D” ring of your harness and retracts as you climb up the ladder. In the event of an accident, a braking device stops your fall and slowly lowers you to the ground. Available lengths from 10 to 150 feet.

Additional shipping charges will be required on vertical life lines.

Mounts above trusses, etc.
Kit includes 5/8” x 60’ horizontal line, synthetic energy absorber, line tensioner/adjuster, 2 steel cable anchorage slings, 2 auto locking caribiners, 2 lanyard attachment ring Fireman’s Hooks and storage bag.

The Petzl Stop Descender is a self-locking rappel device for use on long single-ropes descents. Squeeze the handle and it works just like a standard rappel device. When you let go of the handle, an internal cam pinches the rope and stops your descent. The Stop allows you to easily rest during a long descent and provides a safety backup. Fits rope sizes 9 - 12 millimeters [D20-L]

For descending a rope and for belaying, with a self braking, anti-panic function. Swinging side plate with safety catch decreases risk of dropping device and allows the rapid installation of the rope into the device. To descend, simply pull on the handle; the rate of descent is controlled by varying the grip on the free end of the rope with the other hand. For work positioning, the handle can be rotated to secure the I'D® in place on the rope, thus eliminating the need to "tie off" the device. Fits rope sizes 11.5 - 13 millimeters [D20-L]