Fall protection testing and inspection: What are your business responsibilities?

Brise soleil is typically put in place to reduce air conditioning & heating costs by retaining heat & sunlight during the winter months whilst lowering heat gain during the summer months. The system can provide great advantages for businesses & organisations however without proper inspection it could lead to injuries just like any other form of protection. It is a requirement that the inspection works are carried out regularly to prevent wear & tear, therefore, minimising potential injury. Brise Soleils come under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). The duty holder should ensure inspections are carried out at least every 12 months in accordance with manufacturers guidance. When an inspection is carried out they will check the fixings of external architecture as well as check for divergence, vibration, or fluctuations in the system which could potentially cause fatigue or cracking.

As with any form of protection, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to ensure that lightning protection systems are regularly checked and maintained. Inspections to lightning protection include undertaking an earth resistance test using calibrated test meters in addition to visually checking the down conductors that are affixed to the wall for signs of damage or missing components, but most importantly the ‘airstrike’ components should be thoroughly inspected because these are the parts of the system which are most likely to be struck by lightning as they’re located on the roof. Not only do inspections minimise risks but it’s also a requirement under the Electricity at Work Regulations – Reg 4 part 2:1989 to have lightning protection systems professionally maintained. The duty holder is responsible for ensuring lightning protection inspections are followed every 12 months (minimum) to ensure continuity.

Every building should have a fire extinguisher in place because they’re a critical part of any building’s fire and rescue plan. It’s extremely important that the fire extinguishers are regularly tested to ensure that they work correctly; this way they will be available and working in the event of an emergency. It’s essential this is done every 12 months to ensure safety; it’s also a requirement under the British Standard BS 5306 (parts 3 & 8). The last thing any company or person wants to find out in the event of a fire is that the extinguisher doesn’t work; this is why it is vital that the duty holder ensures these checks are done regularly.

It’s not majorly common that a building will have a flagpole in place however there are quite a few town halls, city halls, stately homes & other high-profile buildings which might have one (or more) in place. It’s vital that flagpoles are inspected & are compliant with the relevant regulations in order to minimise public liability & ensure safety. The current regulations for flagpoles fall within the parameters of the LOLER 1998 regulations (the raising and lowering of materials) which also covers associated wires, shackles, hooks, pole carriers, and slings; all of which should be inspected at least every 12 months. Although it can sometimes be difficult to understand how a flagpole can be a danger, it should not be underestimated; the force of the wind on the fabric of the flag and the pole itself can be quite considerable which is why safety checks are so important. During inspections, the engineers will test the flag, pole, halyard, pulleys, and holding down bolts, with both a function check and a thorough visual inspection. The duty holder is responsible to acknowledge the regulations put in place and ensure inspections are followed in accordance with LOLER.

Blocked gutters can cause major problems to a building; especially if left for too long because this can lead to water damage; creating major disruption and costly expenses due to unavoidable repairs. In order to reduce these risks & save on maintenance costs, regular gutter cleaning should be implemented. HSE Guidance suggests that the duty holder should ‘avoid work at height where they can and ‘use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where they cannot avoid working at height’. If this cannot be avoided then only competent people with a safe system of work should undertake tasks such as window cleaning or gutter cleaning.

It’s common knowledge that the purpose of PPE (personal protective equipment) is to keep workers safe and protected however in order to serve their purpose they must be regularly checked. Common issues with PPE can be general wear and tear, misuse, and exposure to dirt, grit, UV light, or chemicals.; all of which can lead to damaged PPE that has lost its effectiveness. The Work at Height Safety Association (WAHSA) technical guidance brings together the recommendations of the PPE regs 1992, BS EN 365:2004, and BS 8347:2005 CoP, HSE Guideline INDG 367. In order to stay compliant it’s critical that employers establish an inspection regime, which should be drawn up by a competent person and followed out as required. The inspection regime should be specific to the site and should consider the frequency of use and the type of PPE provided. The WAHSA technical note advocates that this regime should include inspection of equipment (including unique identification), the frequency & type of inspection (pre-use checks, detailed, interim inspection), actions to be taken, records of the inspections, as well as trained users & a designated competent person to ensure inspections are carried out. Detailed inspections are expected to be followed out every 12 months as a minimum legal requirement under BS EN 365:2004. However, the recommended guidance under BS 8437: 2005 & INDG367 suggests that inspection intervals do not exceed 6 months or 3 months when used in arduous conditions such as demolition, steel erection, scaffolding, steel masts, or towers with sharp edges.

Wind turbines are typically located in exposed and often remote areas which is why it’s so vital that any fall protection included is thoroughly inspected. Some of the equipment which can be found on wind turbines include fixed access ladders, anchor points for PPE, rescue equipment, goods hoists & fire extinguishers. Each aspect of fall protection should be looked at as an individual piece of equipment and the duty holder should ensure that inspections are followed out with relevant standards to be compliant. For more information on the regulations in place, please click any of the links above.

The typical use of Rail and Beams is to raise and lower goods; used in many buildings throughout the UK with one of the most common examples being warehouses where they are used to lift & lower items to a lorry from the warehouse entrance.

The main purpose of the lifting equipment will determine how often it needs to be tested to be compliant with LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) 1998 regulations. If the equipment is being used to lift people or is an accessory for lifting it will need to be inspected every 6 months (minimum) whereas any other lifting equipment can be inspected every 12 months (minimum) except for exceptional circumstances. Any circumstance which could jeopardise the safety of the equipment will create cause for another inspection. The duty holder should always be aware of how often these inspections need to be carried out as it is their responsibility. Most beams will already have a testing procedure in place which can be established from the Safe Working Load (SWL) sticker. In situations where the documentation is not available it’s important that the procedure & testing requirements are determined to avoid safety risks that could have horrific consequences if such a beam failed.

Anchor points are permanently fixed into the structure of the building and are generally used for the suspension of decorations and signage such as Christmas decorations or banners. As harmless as decorations might seem, the chance of one falling could cause numerous accidents and injuries which is why it is so important they are inspected every 12 months (minimum). LOLER 1998 regulations and British Standards BS 8539 & BS 7883 state that inspections must be followed out at 12-month intervals & include a load test to stay compliant. A load test is when the anchor points are physically tested to ensure that they’re still capable of suspending the required load.