SAFETY BULLETIN - FALL PROTECTION CHECKS
All fall protection equipment deteriorates with use and exposure over time, regardless of brand and/or manufacturer.
Workers & management need to make a concerted effort to keep unsafe and potentially life-threatening equipment out of the hands of those working at heights.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) place duties on employers and duty holders concerned with managing or carrying out work at height.
In addition to the legal requirements for safety inspections WAHR, BS EN 365:2004 and BS 8437 also contain information on periodic safety inspection of fall protection equipment.
There is a wide range of potentially harmful/damaging effects on a harness - ranging from general wear and tear (abrasion, dirt etc) to abuse and impact force from falls.
A harness can be life-saving during a fall so the need to carry out regular equipment checks is critical.
Harnesses & Lanyards carry a lifespan or expiry date, as determined by the harness manufacturer and this should be adhered to at all times to comply with LOLER Regulations.
LOLER Regulations state that, if your Harness, Lanyard, Carabiner's or Tool Equipment Belt / Line are out of date they MUST NOT BE USED
A competent person should establish a regime for the safety inspection of equipment to include frequency, actions, recording, monitoring and training.
Pre-use harness safety inspection checks; to be carried out every time before the harness is used - it should be a visual and tactile examination of the harness, carried out in good light.
The entire harness should be checked and should normally take a few minutes to complete.
Should the equipment fail any of the checks it should be reported to your supervisor who will arrange for it to be replaced
LOLER – Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.
LOLER Requires thorough inspection every SIX months by a competent person of equipment used to raise or lower
loads (including people or equipment).
All Certificates & Records MUST be kept with the equipment and show the name of the inspector, date and place of
inspection and the results.
USE THE FORM BELOW TO CARRYOUT A CHECK ON YOUR FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT NOW!
LANYARDS
