EN 813 sets the requirements for sit harnesses. Its defining feature is a low, ventral attachment point that gives a comfortable upright posture when hanging.
Where it is used
- Rope access — servicing façades, bridges and wind turbines.
- Arboriculture — tree work.
- Caving and rescue operations.
- Descent into confined spaces.
A critical limitation
A sit harness is not by itself a fall arrest system. The ventral point does not hold the body upright in a fall or spread the load across the shoulders. In rope access work EN 813 is therefore always used with EN 361 — usually as a single integrated product carrying both certifications.
The standard rope-access configuration uses two ropes: a working line with an EN 12841 type B ascender and a safety line with an EN 12841 type A back-up device.
