Taking Good Care of A Lineman Body Belt
Safety is the number one priority of every lineman. This is why wearing the right and proper Personal Protective Equipment is very essential in the workplace. But, wearing the right tools and equipment is not only the thing you need to consider when safety is being talked about. Apparently, the way you manage, use, and take good care of these protective tools is a very important aspect as well.
As a lineman, climbing plays a huge role in the job. And one of the most essential protective equipment and tools used in climbing is the lineman body belt. This belt serves many purposes to each and every lineman. Aside from the fact that each essential tool is placed in the body belt, this also serves as a protection from slipping and falling upon climbing a pole.
Understanding and learning the purpose of the belt are just some of the important aspects to remember. But, it cannot be very effective if maintenance and care are not done properly. In fact, safety inspections are always done before performing a lineman task. And this is to actually ensure the overall safety of the tools and equipment. In this case, the lineman body belt.
So, What Is The Right and Effective Way To Take Good Care of These Body Belts?
By and large, a lineman body belt is not like your ordinary and casual belts. They are much heavier, sturdier, and more functional. Accordingly, these belts need more attention when it comes to handling and maintaining them.
- Cleaning and Washing
Lineman belts and harnesses may require rigorous and careful processes when you intend to wash or clean them. Most of the time, these processes are normally given and guided by the manufacturer. So, you must check first with the brand and manufacturer for the right way of cleaning them.
You may also check with the brands and manufacturers if they have their own cleaning services. And this is much recommendable if the cleaning process is quite complex.
- Chemical Application
Applying chemicals on the belt is sometimes required for other brands and variations. But, be very mindful of these chemicals because they might cause wear and tear on the material.
Avoid using paint thinner, degreaser, turpentine, and gasoline since these harsh chemical may cause breakage. And if you intend to wash it on your own, choose soaps and detergents that are milder and more natural.
As for the leather components, you should use leather oils and leather lubricants only.
- Inspection and Manual Check-Up
A lineman body belt normally consists of different hooks and D-rings. And these parts are very essential as well since they are the ones that make up the overall functionality of the belt. So, you must also conduct a manual inspection of these aspects.
Check each hook and D-ring if they are still working properly. If it seems that some of the hooks are not following through, you may apply a few drops of an all-purpose oil.
Lastly, you must also keep a journal with you containing all the details of the washing and cleaning processes. Moreover, you must keep notes in it along with the dates and times of the actual cleaning, maintenance, and inspection.
