FAA Policy Allows for OSHA-approved Human External Cargo Harnesses | Aviation International News

FAA Policy Allows for OSHA-approved HEC Harnesses

Allows use of restraints as an alternative to TSO-C167–approved harnesses

PJ Helicopters — © PJ Helicopters

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

September 29, 2025

The FAA recently implemented a policy that expands the kinds of harnesses that can be used when utility line workers perform human external cargo (HEC) activities. According to Vertical Aviation International (VAI), this now covers “U.S. government-accepted harnesses that meet standards recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and accepted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).”

VAI explained that the new policy, updated on September 8, “permits helicopter operators to use ANSI/ASSP Z359.11-compliant full-body harnesses for Class B human external cargo under…[FAR] Part 133. It permits operators to use these harnesses as an alternative to TSO-C167-approved harnesses when they are listed in the operator’s Rotorcraft-Load Combination Flight Manual (RLCFM).”

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