Saddles and harnesses by type: sit, work positioning, full-body and rope access, with the standards each type is tested to
The codes split harnesses into work positioning (sit) harnesses, fall arrest harnesses and the harnesses used in rope access and crane access. This page lines the types up with what SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe New Zealand, the UK industry code, HSE and the standards bodies say about each. No maker or model is named.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The country-by-country rules for harnesses are on the guide to arborist saddles and harnesses. This page is organised by type of harness and does not describe how to fit, wear or inspect one.
By type
| Type | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Work positioning (sit) harness, also called a saddle | SafeWork NSW 4.4 describes an adjustable waist belt connected to a pair of leg loops or a sit strap, built to support the climber in a sitting position while suspended, with side attachment hardware for hands-free work and front attachment hardware for suspended work. It says the harness is used with adjustable lanyards or pole straps and is limited to situations that may result in a restrained fall or a limited free fall, and not where a free fall greater than 600 mm is possible. It says the harness should prevent the wearer slipping out if inverted, and that a full-body harness is worn instead if that cannot be ensured. WorkSafe NZ 3.2.6 calls it the most common harness in tree climbing, connected at a pelvic attachment point and used to support the climber where the fall protection system is under tension, and its glossary says it is not suitable for fall arrest. |
| Fall arrest harness | WorkSafe NZ 3.2.6: designed to arrest a worker's fall, usually attached through some type of energy absorbing device at the chest or the dorsal (upper back) point. |
| Full-body harness | SafeWork NSW 4.4 as above: worn in place of a work positioning harness where inversion cannot be prevented. For elevating work platform buckets, SafeWork NSW names a fall-arrest harness complying with the Australian and New Zealand standard. |
| Rope access harness | SafeWork NSW 6.2 says harnesses used for the rope access methods of tree climbing are not suitable for the crane access method, where the harness must be a work positioning harness, often called a saddle, used to lift and suspend a person. HSE says rope access and positioning, such as single rope technique, uses at least two separately anchored lines and the user is connected to both through a suitable harness. |
What the ICoP asks of any harness
Clause 3.10.6.9 of the Industry Code of Practice for Arboriculture: Tree Work at Height (Arboricultural Association, Edition 2, May 2020) lists four points. A harness allows a full range of movement while giving the connection points the fall protection system needs. It has a means of adjustment and gives adequate and comfortable support. It allows components to be replaced, subject to the maker's authorisation. Its closure and adjustment systems do not open or loosen inadvertently under load. Clause 3.11.6 says all equipment should be marked so it can be identified and traced. The marking may include a unique serial number, the maker, model and type, a reference to documents on conformity or safe use, the application such as PPE or rigging, and a load rating. Any marking added by the user or a competent person is made without harming the item and only with the maker's approval.
Standards named for each type
| Standard | What the publisher or code says |
|---|---|
| BS EN 813:2024 | BSI lists its publication date as March 31, 2024. Its scope is sit harnesses used in restraint, work positioning and rope access systems where a low point of attachment is required, and it says sit harnesses are not suitable for fall arrest. |
| BS EN 361 | Full body harnesses, as the ICoP standards list names it. |
| BS EN 358 | Belts and lanyards for work positioning or restraint, in the same ICoP list. |
| ANSI/ASSP Z359.11 | Full body harnesses, in the Z359 family listed by the American Society of Safety Professionals. |
| AS/NZS 1891.1:2020 | Manufacturing requirements for full body combination and lower body harnesses, as SafeWork NSW names it. WorkSafe NZ says harnesses conform to the AS/NZS 1891 standards or an equivalent. |
Where HSE puts harnesses
HSE's page on tree climbing says the Work at Height Regulations 2005 do not ban climbing work, and that climbing with a personal fall protection system, ropes and harness can be done only if a risk assessment has shown it can be done safely, if a safer item such as a mobile elevating work platform is not justified, and if the user and enough available people have task-specific training including rescue. It names the two main techniques as work positioning, for example changeover climbing with a harness, friction knot and climbing line, and rope access and positioning, for example footlocking or single rope technique.
What the sources leave out
No code in this list prints a strength figure for a harness. They point to the standards above and to the maker's instructions.
Sources
- SafeWork NSW, Tree works code of practice, March 2026, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe New Zealand, Safety and health in arboriculture approved code of practice, read October 9, 2026
- Arboricultural Association, Industry Code of Practice for Arboriculture: Tree Work at Height, Edition 2, May 2020, read October 9, 2026
- Health and Safety Executive, tree climbing, read October 9, 2026
- American Society of Safety Professionals, ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall Protection and Fall Restraint Standards, read October 9, 2026
- BSI Knowledge, BS EN 813:2024 sit harnesses, read October 9, 2026