Abstract: A fall arrest apparatus has a body harness having a backrest and a seat and capable of being worn by a user so that the backrest extends from a rear shoulder region to a rear hip region of the user while the seat extends from about the rear hip region to a rear thigh region of the user. A suspension harness is configured for connection to the body harness at a front shoulder region and at a front thigh region, such mat when the user is suspended from the suspension harness in the body harness, the user is reclined in the body harness with a weight of the user being distributed across the backrest and seat assemblies.