PPE’s weakest link

13th July 2018

If you own Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE) used to protect employees from a fall from height, you have a legal duty to ensure that it is inspected.

Regulation 12 (3) of the Working at Height Regulations 2005 states that:

“Every employer shall ensure that work equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration which is liable to result in dangerous situations is inspected”

at suitable intervals; and
each time that exceptional circumstances which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the work equipment have occurred, to ensure that health and safety conditions are maintained and that any deterioration can be detected and remedied in good time.

Pre-Use checks:

These should be carried out prior to each time the product is used, by a trained operative.

Formal, detailed inspections:

These should be carried out at suitable intervals based on an assessment of the equipment type, frequency of use and environmental conditions. These inspections must be undertaken by an independent competent person.

BS EN 365: 2004 recommends that a detailed inspection should be completed at least every 12 months. BS 8437: 2005 and INDG367 recommend intervals not exceeding 6 months, (or 3 months where the equipment is used in arduous conditions).

Our technicians can attend your site to carry out a full detailed inspection of your PPE upon request. As part of the service they will inspect items for faults and dates of obsolescence. They will also identify any items missing and required to safely work at height on the installed system(s).

Our role is to work with clients to consider their working environment to devise a system of inspection with a frequency that minimises risk.

For more information about PPE inspections or user training, please contact us to discuss further.

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