A harness showing signs of minimal fraying should be discarded.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only After Inspection
• D. Not Necessarily

Answer: (B)

Wear on a harness should be evaluated rather than dismissed immediately. Seeing a little fraying doesn’t automatically mean the harness is unsafe to use; what matters is how extensive the wear is and where it’s located. If the fraying is superficial, limited to non-load-bearing areas, and there are no other signs of damage to the webbing, stitching, or hardware, the harness may still be serviceable after a careful inspection and by following the manufacturer’s wear limits. However, any deep fraying, cuts, broken stitching, thinning of the webbing, or distortion of the hardware means retirement is warranted. In practice, always check the manufacturer’s guidelines and, if there’s any doubt about safety, replace the harness.