Try OSHA section 1926.500, 1926.501 and as it relates to CATV and Telecom try the following:
Personal climbing equipment --
1. 1910.268(g)(1)
General. Safety belts and straps shall be provided and the employer shall ensure their use when work is performed at positions more than 4 feet above ground, on poles, and on towers, except as provided in paragraphs (n)(7) and (n)(8) of this section. No safety belts, safety straps or lanyards acquired after July 1, 1975 may be used unless they meet the tests set forth in paragraph (g)(2) of this section. The employer shall ensure that all safety belts and straps are inspected by a competent person prior to each day's use to determine that they are in safe working condition.
1910.268(g)(2)
Telecommunication lineman's body belts, safety straps, and lanyards --
..1910.268(g)(2)(i)
1910.268(g)(2)(i)
General requirements.
1910.268(g)(2)(i)(A)
Hardware for lineman's body belts, safety straps, and lanyards shall be drop forged or pressed steel and shall have a corrosion resistant finish tested to meet the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials B117-64, which is incorporated by reference as specified in § 1910.6 (50-hour test). Surfaces shall be smooth and free of sharp edges. Production samples of lineman's safety straps, body belts and lanyards shall be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, as having been tested in accordance with and as meeting the requirements of this paragraph.
1910.268(g)(2)(i)(B)
All buckles shall withstand a 2,000-pound tensile test with a maximum permanent deformation no greater than one sixty-forth inch.
1910.268(g)(2)(i)(C)
D rings shall withstand a 5,000 pound tensile test without cracking or breaking.
1910.268(g)(2)(i)(D)
Snaphooks shall withstand a 5,000 pound tensile test, or shall withstand a 3,000-pound tensile test and a 180° bend test. Tensile failure is indicated by distortion of the snaphook sufficient to release the keeper; bend test failure is indicated by cracking of the snaphook.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)
Specific requirements.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(A)(1)
All fabric used for safety straps shall be capable of withstanding an A.C. dielectric test of not less than 25,000 volts per foot "dry" for 3 minutes, without visible deterioration.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(A)(2)
All fabric and leather used shall be tested for leakage current. Fabric or leather may not be used if the leakage current exceeds 1 milliampere when a potential of 3,000 volts is applied to the electrodes positioned 12 inches apart.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(A)(3)
In lieu of alternating current tests, equivalent direct current tests may be performed.
..1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(B)
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(B)
The cushion part of the body belt shall:
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(B)(1)
Contain no exposed rivets on the inside. This provision does not apply to belts used by craftsmen not engaged in line work.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(B)(2)
Be at least three inches in width;
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(B)(3)
Be at least five thirty-seconds (5/32) inch thick, if made of leather; and
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(C)
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(D)
Suitable copper, steel, or equivalent liners shall be used around the bars of D rings to prevent wear between these members and the leather or fabric enclosing them.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(E)
All stitching shall be done with a minimum 42 pound weight nylon or equivalent thread and shall be lock stitched. Stitching parallel to an edge may not be less than three-sixteenths (3/16) inch from the edge of the narrowest member caught by the thread. The use of cross stitching on leather is prohibited.
..1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(F)
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(F)
The keepers of snaphooks shall have a spring tension that will not allow the keeper to begin to open when a weight of 2 1/2 pounds or less is applied, but the keepers shall begin to open when a weight of four pounds is applied. In making this determination, the weight shall be supported on the keeper against the end of the nose.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(G)
Safety straps, lanyards, and body belts shall be tested in accordance with the following procedure:
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(G)(1)
Attach one end of the safety strap or lanyard to a rigid support, and the other end to a 250 pound canvas bag of sand;
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(G)(2)
Allow the 250 pound canvas bag of sand to free fall 4 feet when testing safety straps and 6 feet when testing lanyards. In each case, the strap or lanyard shall stop the fall of the 250 pound bag;
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(G)(3)
Failure of the strap or lanyard shall be indicated by any breakage or slippage sufficient to permit the bag to fall free from the strap or lanyard.
1910.268(g)(2)(ii)(G)(4)
The entire "body belt assembly" shall be tested using on D ring. A safety strap or lanyard shall be used that is capable of passing the "impact loading test" described in paragraph (g)(2)(ii)(G)(2) of this section and attached as required in paragraph (g)(2)(ii)(G)(1) of this section. The body belt shall be secured to the 250 pound bag of sand at a point which simulates the waist of a man and shall be dropped as stated in paragraph (g)(2)(ii)(G)(2) of this section. Failure of the body belt shall be indicated by any breakage or slippage sufficient to permit the bag to fall free from the body belt.
1910.268(g)(3)
Pole climbers.
1910.268(g)(3)(i)
Pole climbers may not be used if the gaffs are less than 1 1/4 inches in length as measured on the underside of the gaff. The gaffs of pole climbers shall be covered with safety caps when not being used for their intended use.
1910.268(g)(3)(ii)
The employer shall ensure that pole climbers are inspected by a competent person for the following conditions: Fractured or cracked gaffs or leg irons, loose or dull gaffs, broken straps or buckles. If any of these conditions exist, the defect shall be corrected before the climbers are used.
1910.268(g)(3)(iii)
Pole climbers shall be inspected as required in this paragraph (g)(3) before each day's use and a gaff cut-out test performed at least weekly when in use.
..1910.268(g)(3)(iv)
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)
Pole climbers may not be worn when:
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)(A)
Working in trees (specifically designed tree climbers shall be used for tree climbing),
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)(B)
Working on ladders,
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)(C)
Working in an aerial lift,
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)(D)
Driving a vehicle, nor
1910.268(g)(3)(iv)(E)
Walking on rocky, hard, frozen, brushy or hilly terrain.
END of OSHA Quote
For most cable installers a lineman belt and strap is the equipment of choice. The belt is wide enough to not pinch the body when pressure is applied. The belt or lanyard is long enough to wrap around the strand and ladder. Newer models use a full body harness. This is good in the event you loose your ladder and are swung free. The weight of the fall puts a lot of pressure on the stomach and groin areas when using very old thin or narrow belts. The more recent wide belts spread the weight and shock trauma around even more. The full harness tries to spread the stress all over the upper body. This is more effective when being popped out of a bucket truck and the
“D” ring on the back spreads the stress across the shoulders and the weight across the lower legs
There are various makers of belts and straps. Some of the “dawgs” on the list can give you their personal preferences on the suitability of the products made by Klein, Bashlin, Miller, Buckingham and others.
Hope this answers your question
