The starting point of the Kratos harness range and the sensible choice where fall protection is needed occasionally rather than worn all day. One dorsal attachment point for fall arrest, adjustable thigh straps, and a positioned sit strap for comfort. The detail worth noting is the dual colour scheme: shoulder straps and thigh straps are different colours, which sounds trivial until you watch someone put a harness on in a hurry and get it inside out. Colour coding makes correct donning obvious.
Key Features
- Dual colour strap scheme: Shoulder and thigh straps in different colours, so the harness cannot easily be put on wrongly. A genuine safety feature disguised as a styling choice.
- Single dorsal attachment: The standard fall arrest connection point, between the shoulder blades.
- Adjustable thigh straps: Fits a range of users.
- Positioned sit strap: Improves comfort and, more importantly, load distribution if a fall is arrested.
- Maximum user weight 140 kg: Including tools, which is higher than many entry level harnesses.
- Rated for occasional use: Specified for intermittent rather than daily wear.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA 10 102 00 |
| Configuration |
1 point full body harness |
| Attachments |
1 dorsal D-ring |
| Adjustment |
Thigh straps |
| Webbing |
Polyester |
| Maximum User Weight |
140 kg including equipment |
| Usage Rating |
Occasional use |
| Conformity |
BS EN 361 |
BS EN 361 | Category III PPE | Occasional Use
Conforms to BS EN 361 for full body harnesses. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity and covered by EU Type-Examination certificate 2777/10711-01 E01-01. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
This harness suits occasional work at height: maintenance visits, occasional roof or plant access, contractors needing compliant equipment for infrequent tasks, and as issue equipment where a harness is worn a few times a month rather than daily. It is a proper EN 361 harness, not a compromise, but it is specified for occasional use and someone wearing one every day will find the comfort features of the higher models worth the difference. For intensive daily wear, the Fly'in and Mune ranges are better suited.
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 Harness
- Use the colour coding: Shoulder straps and thigh straps are different colours. If they look wrong when you pick it up, they are.
- Adjust for a snug fit: Thigh straps and shoulder straps close but not restrictive, with the dorsal D-ring sitting between the shoulder blades.
- Check the D-ring position: Too low and it does not support you correctly in a fall. It should sit between the shoulder blades, not down the back.
- Connect only to the dorsal D-ring: This harness has one attachment point and it is for fall arrest.
- Check the 140 kg limit includes tools.
- Inspect before every use: Webbing, stitching, D-ring and buckles.
Warning: Category III PPE for use by trained, competent persons only. Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall. A harness is only part of a fall protection system and must be used with an appropriate lanyard or fall arrest device and a suitable anchor.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Maximum user weight 140 kg including tools and equipment.
- The dorsal D-ring must sit between the shoulder blades.
- Adjust for a snug fit before every use.
- Inspect webbing, stitching, D-ring and buckles before every use.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Rated for occasional use; consider a higher specification for daily wear.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- Store away from direct sunlight, heat sources and chemicals.
Inspection and Maintenance
Check the full length of every strap on both faces for cuts, abrasion, fraying, heat damage and chemical staining. Examine the stitching at every junction and at the D-ring attachment, which is where load concentrates, and reject anything with cut, pulled or missing threads. Check the D-ring for distortion, wear and free movement, and confirm the buckles and adjusters hold their setting under load rather than creeping. Check the label remains legible, since an unidentifiable harness cannot be certified. Clean with clean water only and dry naturally away from heat.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "occasional use" actually mean?
It is a manufacturer's rating reflecting the construction and comfort features rather than a legal limit. The harness meets EN 361 fully. But someone wearing a harness eight hours a day will find the padding, adjustment range and strap management of the intensive-use models make a real difference, and will likely look after it better as a result.
Q: One attachment point or two?
One dorsal point covers standard fall arrest. A second sternal point lets you connect at the front, which suits ladder climbing with a rope grab and some rescue configurations. If your work only ever needs rear attachment, one point is sufficient.
Q: Why does the colour coding matter?
Because harnesses get put on wrongly, particularly by occasional users in a hurry. Different coloured shoulder and thigh straps make an inside-out or upside-down harness immediately obvious. On a product rated for occasional use, where the wearer may not don one often, that is worth having.
Q: What else do I need?
A harness alone is not fall protection. You need a lanyard or fall arrest device suited to the work, and a suitable anchor point. The FA KIT range bundles a harness with a lanyard and bag, which is often the simpler purchase.
