How can breakaway lanyards improve health & safety?

Lanyards are loops of material worn around the neck and used to hold small objects (especially work ID cards and/or access fobs). They come in two main types, traditional and breakaway. Breakaway lanyards offer significant health and safety advantages over traditional lanyards.

Here Malcolm Humphreys, Director of We Print Lanyards shares his expertise on what you need to know. 

The difference between breakaway and traditional lanyards 

Breakaway lanyards and traditional lanyards are designed for slightly different purposes. Breakaway lanyards are designed with a focus on human safety. They aim to minimise the risk of injury. Traditional lanyards are designed with a focus on the safety of the item. They aim to minimise the risk that the item will be damaged or lost. 

This difference in purpose is reflected in the fact that breakaway and traditional lanyards differ in their design, materials, and safety mechanisms. Here is a quick guide to the key differences and what they mean in practice. 

Design 

Breakaway lanyards are more complex to design than traditional lanyards. On the one hand, they need to be able to separate when necessary. This may be because the wearer chooses to remove them. It may also be because the lanyard comes under excessive stress.  

On the other hand, breakaway lanyards are expected to remain connected most of the time. They must therefore not release too quickly, or they will become inconvenient. For example, it’s generally preferable if breakaway lanyards stay connected if they are lifted up and/or put down. This is because most users remove them just by lifting the lanyards over their heads. 

By contrast, traditional lanyards work more like necklaces. They may just be a single strip of material. Alternatively, they may have some kind of fastening. This fastening will not, however, separate under pressure the way a breakaway lanyard will. 

Material 

The material used for breakaway lanyards needs to be strong enough to support both the safety mechanism and the item it’s being used to hold. This means that it needs to be more robust than the material used for traditional lanyards. For that reason, breakaway lanyards tend to be made of plastic, strong fabric or strong cord (or a blend of the above). 

Traditional lanyards tend to be made of a single, light, material such as nylon or polyester. They are only made out of heavier materials if they are intended to hold heavier objects. 

Safety mechanism 

Probably the most obvious difference between breakaway lanyards and traditional lanyards is that breakaway lanyards have a safety mechanism. This is what allows them to separate or break apart under stress. Traditional lanyards are either a single loop or material or a loop that is divided by a simple fastener. 

Lanyards and health and safety 

Traditional lanyards are now widely recognised as a health and safety hazard. Some of the specific dangers of traditional lanyards include the following. 

Choking 

Traditional lanyards can become caught on objects in the workplace. This can potentially lead to choking or strangling, particularly if the worker is pulled forward. It’s worth noting that this is a hazard even in generally low-risk environments such as offices. For example, a lanyard may be caught in a lift door. 

Tripping/collision 

This may seem counterintuitive since lanyards are worn around the neck. The problem comes from the fact that lanyards can easily become entangled with other objects. This can be enough to make the wearer trip.  

More commonly, however, it distracts the wearer and hence makes it harder for them to pay attention to their surroundings. This leads to trips and collisions. 

Snagging 

Traditional lanyards can become snagged on objects in the workplace. Objects with sharp edges and/or rough surfaces are particularly likely to snag lanyards. This can lead to a sudden pull or jerk that can cause injury or strain. 

Wear and tear 

Traditional lanyards tend to be made of fairly low-grade material. They, therefore, tend to become worn and/or frayed over time. This can lead to a potential choking or strangling hazard if they break while in use.  

In addition to these dangers, traditional lanyards can also be a nuisance to workers, as they can get in the way or become tangled while performing tasks. They can also be a distraction, as workers may be constantly adjusting or repositioning the lanyard. 

Benefits of using breakaway lanyards 

There are several benefits to using breakaway lanyards in the workplace. These include the following. 

Compliance with safety regulations 

All employers have a duty of care to their employees. They must therefore take all reasonable steps to keep them healthy and safe at work. Using breakaway lanyards is an easy and cost-effective way to promote workplace safety. It’s also worth noting that businesses are likely to have an obligation to keep visitors safe too. It can therefore be worth having extra breakaway lanyards to give to them as necessary. 

Reduced risk of injury or death 

Breakaway lanyards are designed to separate or break apart under stress, reducing the risk of choking or strangling in the event of a sudden pull or jerk. This can help prevent serious injury or death in the workplace. 

Improved compliance with workplace regulations 

A lot of modern workplaces require employees to wear their ID cards visibly at all times. That’s usually why employees are provided with lanyards in the first place.  

The problem is that workers who find lanyards inconvenient are not going to want to wear them. This means that, at best, you will get grudging compliance. At worst, people will deliberately ignore the rules. 

You can battle with this, or you can make everybody’s life easier and issue breakaway lanyards. Then employees can be comfortable wearing them and hence not need to be forced to do so. 

Cost-effectiveness 

Breakaway lanyards are often made of higher-quality materials than traditional lanyards. This means that they are typically more durable than traditional lanyards. Overall, therefore, issuing breakaway lanyards can actually be the more economical option. 

Productivity gains 

Traditional lanyards can easily become a source of distraction for workers. For example, they regularly snag on objects. In some environments, workers may have concerns about their safety. Issuing breakaway lanyards resolves both of these issues. This can help workers to relax and focus on their tasks. This in turn can translate into productivity gains.