Connecting a lanyard to your own dorsal D-ring is an awkward manoeuvre. The ring sits between the shoulder blades, which is exactly where your hands do not comfortably reach, and doing it one-handed at height while holding on with the other is worse.
The dorsal pad solves it. Four hundred millimetres of webbing with its own D-ring, fixed to the harness dorsal ring by a delta quick link, bringing the connection point down to where it can be reached and clipped without contortion. Rated to 25 kN and conforming to BS EN 354, so it becomes part of the certified load path rather than an accessory bolted on.
Removable, so it goes on the harnesses that need it and comes off those that do not.
Key Features
- Brings the attachment point within reach: Connect a lanyard one-handed without reaching behind your shoulder blades.
- 25 kN resistance: Rated as part of the load path, not merely a convenience item.
- BS EN 354 conformity: Certified to the lanyard standard.
- 400 mm length: Enough to reach, short enough not to add meaningful fall distance.
- Delta quick link attachment: Fits to a standard harness dorsal D-ring.
- Removable: Transfers between harnesses as needed.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Item |
Detail |
Cost |
| FA 10 903 00 |
Extension band with D-ring |
400 mm, 25 kN, BS EN 354 |
£12.64 |
| FA 10 902 00 |
Removable dorsal pad |
Foam with knitted mesh, universal, fits 45 mm webbing |
£21.83 |
| FA 10 905 00 |
Removable shoulder pad |
Abrasion resistant, pressure button fixing |
£5.20 |
Note the source description says 400 mm while the price list says 41 cm. Confirm before publishing.
BS EN 354 | 25 kN Resistance | Adds to Fall Distance
Conforms to BS EN 354 with a resistance of 25 kN. The dorsal pad adds 400 mm to the distance between the harness and the anchor, which must be included in the fall clearance calculation. Inspect before every use as part of the harness assembly.
Suitable Applications
The dorsal pad suits anyone connecting and disconnecting a lanyard repeatedly through a shift, particularly working alone where there is nobody to help clip on. It is standard on some Kratos harnesses such as the ATEX two point, and available separately for the rest. The **dorsal pad** and **shoulder pad** are comfort items for all-day wear: the dorsal pad cushions the back plate area and the shoulder pad protects the strap where it bears, both of which extend how long a harness stays properly adjusted rather than being loosened off.
More About This Product
Equipment storage is the least glamorous line on a PPE order and one of the more consequential ones. Textile PPE has a finite life governed largely by UV exposure, and UV works on a harness sitting on a van dashboard just as effectively as on one being worn.
The practical case is simpler still. Kit kept together in a bag stays together as a certifiable set. Kit tipped into a locker becomes a drawer of loose components, and a lanyard whose certificate cannot be matched to it is a lanyard that has to be scrapped.
What Actually Destroys PPE in Storage
UV is the main agent and the least visible. Polyester and polyamide webbing lose strength steadily under sunlight, and the damage is cumulative and irreversible. A harness that has spent two summers on a dashboard may look serviceable and test poorly. Nothing about UV damage is apparent to the eye until it is severe.
Damp does two things. It corrodes the metal components — buckles, D-rings, connector gates — and it encourages mould growth in textile that permanently stains and can weaken it. Kit put away wet after a rainy shift is kit deteriorating overnight.
Grit and dust work into every mechanism: connector gates, self-locking hook mechanisms, retractable block housings and buckle adjusters. A connector gate that has become stiff is nearly always grit in the pivot, and a self-locking hook that has become vague usually the same.
Chemicals are the fast route to failure. Fuel, solvents, battery acid and many cleaning products attack textile aggressively, and a harness stored next to an open fuel can in a van is at genuine risk. Some chemical damage is visible as staining or hardening; some is not.
A bag addresses all four for a fraction of the cost of the equipment inside it.
How to Use the Dorsal Pad
- Fit with the delta quick link, fully closed: The link must be screwed fully home. It is a load bearing component.
- Include the 400 mm in your clearance calculation: It adds to the total fall distance. This is the one thing people forget.
- Connect the lanyard to the band's D-ring, not to the harness ring behind it.
- Check the band and link at every pre-use inspection: They are part of the load path.
- Do not extend further: Never chain two dorsal pads together.
Warning: The dorsal pad adds 400 mm to the fall distance and must be included in the clearance calculation. Never connect two dorsal pads together. The delta quick link must be screwed fully closed before use.
Safety Information
- Include the extension length in all fall clearance calculations.
- The delta quick link must be fully closed.
- Never connect two dorsal pads in series.
- Inspect the band, stitching, D-ring and quick link before every use.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- Pads are comfort items and must never obstruct or conceal an attachment point.
Inspection and Maintenance
The dorsal pad is part of the load path, so inspect it as you would a lanyard: full length both faces for cuts, abrasion and fraying, all stitching, the D-ring for distortion and wear, and the delta quick link for thread damage and full closure. For the pads, check they have not slipped into a position where they obstruct the dorsal D-ring or conceal webbing that should be inspectable — a pad that hides damage is worse than no pad. Remove pads periodically to inspect the webbing beneath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the dorsal pad affect fall clearance?
Yes, and it is easy to overlook. It adds 400 mm between the harness and the anchor, which goes directly into the total fall distance. Include it in the calculation alongside lanyard length and shock absorber deployment.
Q: Are the pads worth it?
On a harness worn all day, yes. A comfortable harness stays properly adjusted; an uncomfortable one gets loosened off by mid-afternoon, and a loose harness performs badly in a fall. The shoulder pad is £5.20 and the dorsal pad £21.83.
Q: Can a pad hide harness damage?
It can, which is why they should be removed periodically so the webbing beneath can be inspected. A pad that conceals a defect is worse than no pad at all. Make it part of the thorough examination routine.
