A safety harness must be worn when performing which activity?

Prepare for the Afloat Safety Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question offers hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Fall protection is required whenever there is a risk of falling from height or over the side of a vessel. A safety harness is worn to arrest a fall and keep you connected to a secure lifeline, preventing a plunge into the water. Working aloft over the side presents a real fall hazard, so the harness is essential in that situation. Standing on deck in calm weather is a stable condition with minimal fall risk, so a harness isn’t normally required there. Cleaning the hull from water level also keeps you near the deck, where there isn’t a fall from height involved. Entering cargo holds involves other hazards like confined-space risks; a harness may be used if fall protection is mandated by the task, but the key point for this question is that being aloft over the side requires a harness.