A work positioning belt on its own, for use where fall arrest is not required or is provided separately. Two lateral attachment points take a positioning lanyard so the wearer can lean back and work with both hands, three tool rings carry equipment, and an extended comfort pad spreads the load across the back and hips. It is important to be clear about what this is: a positioning belt is **not** fall arrest equipment, and where a fall is possible a full body harness is required.
Key Features
- Two lateral attachment points: A positioning lanyard runs between them around the structure.
- Three tool holding rings: Equipment carriage on the belt itself.
- Extended comfort pad: Spreads sustained load across the back and hips, which is what a positioning belt does all day.
- 45 mm webbing: Wide enough to distribute load without a pad digging in.
- Fully adjustable with automatic buckle: Quick to fit and adjust over varying clothing.
- Rated for frequent use, maximum user 140 kg.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Model |
Attachments |
Tool Rings |
Adjustment |
Usage Rating |
| FA 10 401 00 |
Akros 4 |
2 lateral |
3 |
Fully adjustable vest, automatic buckle |
Frequent use |
| FA 10 402 00 |
KAMI 4 |
2 lateral |
2 |
Adjustable |
Occasional use |
Both 45 mm webbing with extended comfort pad, maximum user 140 kg, BS EN 358.
BS EN 358 Work Positioning — NOT Fall Arrest | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 358 for work positioning systems. This is a work positioning belt and is not fall arrest equipment. Where a fall from height is possible, a full body harness to BS EN 361 is required. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity and covered by EU Type-Examination certificate 2777/10863-01 E02-01. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
A positioning belt alone suits work where the user needs support and both hands free but where a fall is not possible: working from a platform with edge protection, inside a machine or vessel with no fall risk, or pole work where the belt provides restraint against a structure. In practice most work at height needs fall arrest as well, in which case a four point harness with an integrated belt is the correct equipment rather than a belt on its own. Read the risk assessment before choosing.
More About This Product
A harness is the only piece of fall protection equipment worn continuously, and that changes what matters about it. A lanyard that is slightly awkward gets used anyway. A harness that is uncomfortable gets loosened off after lunch, and a loose harness performs materially worse in a fall — the wearer drops further before the harness takes load, and the load lands on the wrong parts of the body when it does.
So comfort is not a luxury specification on a harness worn for a full shift; it is what determines whether the harness is still correctly adjusted at four in the afternoon. That is why padding, ventilation and the quality of the adjusters justify their cost on anything worn daily, and why the cheapest harness is rarely the cheapest outcome.
Suspension Trauma and Why the Rescue Plan Comes First
A harness that successfully arrests a fall leaves the wearer suspended, upright and conscious. That is the point — and it is also the beginning of a second, less obvious emergency.
Suspension trauma, also called orthostatic intolerance, develops when someone hangs motionless in a harness. The leg straps restrict venous return, blood pools in the legs, and the volume returning to the heart falls. Unconsciousness can follow within minutes, and the outcome can be fatal even after a successful rescue if the casualty is moved incorrectly.
Two practical consequences follow. First, a rescue plan that depends on calling the emergency services is not a plan, because the response time is longer than the time available. Rescue has to be possible with the equipment and people on site. Second, a suspension trauma relief strap — a few pounds, deploys in seconds, lets the casualty stand in the loops and restore circulation — buys the time the rescue needs. It is the cheapest meaningful addition to any harness and the one most often left off.
This is why the rescue plan is required before work begins rather than written afterwards.
How to Use the Positioning Belt
- Confirm fall arrest is not required: If a fall is possible, a positioning belt is not adequate equipment. This is the first question, not the last.
- Use both lateral points together: A positioning lanyard passes between them around the structure. Using one loads the belt asymmetrically.
- Adjust onto the hips: The belt should take load on the hips, not ride up around the waist where it restricts breathing.
- Remove all slack: Take up the positioning lanyard so you are supported rather than able to fall onto it.
- Use tool rings for tools only.
- Check the total weight: 140 kg includes everything carried.
Warning: A work positioning belt is NOT fall arrest equipment. It will not safely arrest a fall and using it where a fall is possible can cause serious injury. Where a fall risk exists, a full body harness to BS EN 361 is required.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Work positioning only. Not fall arrest equipment.
- Where a fall is possible, a full body harness to BS EN 361 is required.
- Maximum user weight 140 kg including tools and equipment.
- Use both lateral attachment points together.
- Adjust onto the hips and remove all slack when positioned.
- Tool rings are not attachment points.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- Store away from direct sunlight, heat sources and chemicals.
Inspection and Maintenance
A positioning belt takes sustained static load and bears against structure, so abrasion is the main wear. Inspect the belt webbing along its full length, particularly the sections that habitually contact steelwork, and check the comfort pad for compression, tearing and separation from the webbing. Examine both lateral attachment points for wear, elongation and distortion, and their stitching closely, since these carry the user's weight continuously rather than occasionally. Check the buckle engages positively and holds under load without creeping, and confirm the tool rings are secure.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use a positioning belt instead of a harness?
Only where a fall is genuinely not possible. A belt holds you in position; it will not safely arrest a fall, and being caught by a belt around the waist in a fall can cause serious internal injury. Where any fall risk exists, a full body harness is required.
Q: Akros 4 or KAMI 4?
The Akros 4 has three tool rings against two, a fully adjustable vest with automatic buckle, and a frequent use rating. The KAMI 4 is simpler and rated for occasional use, at around £1.70 less at cost. If the belt is worn regularly the Akros is worth the difference.
Q: Why does the belt need to sit on the hips?
Because the hips take load comfortably and the waist does not. A belt riding up around the waist restricts breathing and concentrates load on soft tissue, which becomes uncomfortable quickly and unsafe if the user is left supported for any length of time.
Q: Would I be better with a harness that includes a belt?
In most cases yes. The four and five point harnesses have an integrated positioning belt plus fall arrest points, which covers both requirements in one item. A separate belt makes sense where fall arrest genuinely is not needed, or where a user already has a harness and needs positioning added.
