Given the consequences, working from height continues to be one of the most rigorously controlled aspects of health and safety law in the UK. Serious injuries from falling from height remain one of the most common dangers in construction, warehousing, telecommunications, utilities, and facilities management. Most companies accept the requirement to install personal fall protection systems and anchor points. However, very few of them have a reliable formal policy regarding the ongoing inspection and maintenance of that equipment after it has been installed. That is one of the ways many companies unknowing fail to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Fall protection equipment is only as good as its last inspection. A harness, lanyard, anchor point, or horizontal lifeline system may have looked perfectly serviceable twelve months ago, but it could have deteriorated in ways that are not visible to the untrained eye. UV exposure, chemistry, abrasion, corrosion, and mere repetition can all contribute to the degradation of equipment that is designed to prevent falls from several meters. Establishing the right inspection regime is more than just compliance. It can be the difference between a safe work day and a catastrophic event.
Employers are responsible for ensuring that equipment used for work at height is checked prior to its first use, periodically afterward, and after certain incidents that could impact the equipment’s safety, such as a fall or extreme weather. For harnesses and lanyards, some textile-based items, six-monthly formal detailed inspections are generally expected to be undertaken by a competent person, although a blanket rule is not recommended as lanyard and harness manufacturers provide specific guidance, and risk assessments should be performed. Anchor points, horizontal lifelines, and structural fixings are generally required to be inspected on transversely adjustable lifelines, along with the necessary reviews of the anchor’s rating certificate and any structural changes to the building to which it is fixed, generally on an annual basis.
Inspection of equipment should occur by someone competent, not simply visually; The person should advise the cutting or burning of webbing, the fraying or pulled threads of stitching, and any corrosion, deformation, or fracturing of metal parts. Connectors must also be checked, as well as their locking and gate mechanisms. All equipment that has experienced a fall arrest, regardless of how insignificant, is to be taken out of service and either sent for inspection by the manufacturer, or destroyed, as most shock absorbers and lanyards are single-use items and contain energy-absorbing components.
Just Like Inspections, Record Keeping Is Important
Record Keeping is equally as important as inspections. HSE guidance expects businesses to keep records of inspection reports. If there is an incident or routine audit, an inspection report will be requested. If equipment records are sound, but the inspection reports are poor, this could create liability.
Facilities managers and health and safety managers should consider how to train staff. Equipment is used correctly if staff are trained to inspect the equipment before use, put on a harness, and identify an item that should be taken out of service before formal inspections. Most defects can be identified during a pre-use check, which only takes a couple of minutes to complete.
It’s important to check your fall protection equipment periodically for the current standards concerning its suitability as well as condition. It is possible that the regulations, standards and best practices documents may have evolved since the purchase was made and consequently, the equipment may no longer meet best practice for the given site or task. Suppliers who are knowledgeable about anchor points, harnesses, lanyards, lifeline systems and also provide advice on inspection intervals can help alleviate some of the burden on your safety and facilities teams. Additionally, they can help make certain that fall protection equipment is still suitable for use throughout its operational life and not just the day it was installed.