Inspecting, Storing, and Maintaining Fall Protection and Rescue Equipment

Interpreted Requirements

Templates, Examples

§         Inspection, maintenance, storage and care of equipment shall at a minimum be in accordance with manufacturer's and competent person's instructions.

§         Regular Documented Inspections:

o   Fall protection and fall rescue equipment shall be inspected on a regular basis not to exceed one year (or more frequently if required by manufacturer's instructions) by a competent person or a competent rescuer, as appropriate, to verify that the equipment is safe for use.

o   Written or electronic records of inspections completed under section 5.5.5 shall be kept on file for the service life of the equipment.

§         Fall protection and fall rescue equipment shall be inspected according to the manufacturer's instructions and for:

o         Absence or illegibility of markings or tags;

o         Absence of any elements affecting the equipment form, fit or function;

o         Evidence of defects in or damage to hardware elements including cracks, sharp edges, deformation, corrosion, chemical attack, excessive heating, alternation or excessive wear;

o         Evidence of defects in or damage to straps or ropes including:

·          Fraying,

·          Unsplicing,

·          Enlaying,

·          Kinking,

·          Knotting,

·          Roping,

·          Broken or pulled stitches,

·          Excessive elongation,

·          Chemical attack,

·          Excessive soiling, abrasion, alternation, needed or excessive lubrication, excessive aging, excessive wear;

o         Alternation, absence of parts, or evidence of defects in, damage to or improper function of mechanical devices and connectors;

o         Any other condition that calls to question the suitability of the equipment for its intended purpose.

§         Removing Equipment From Service:

o         Fall protection and fall rescue equipment shall be taken out of service when any inspection reveals that it may no longer serve the required function, that the equipment may be unsafe due to damage or wear, or if the required inspection interval has been exceeded.  Equipment taken out of service for exceeding the inspection interval may be returned to service after a satisfactory inspection has been performed by a competent person.

o         All fall protection and fall rescue equipment that has been inspected and determined to be damaged and no longer adequate for service shall be tagged "DO NOT USE".  The competent person shall destroy this equipment or the damaged equipment used in training classes shall be kept in a controlled area to prevent reuse.

§         When removing a damaged piece of equipment from service, the damaged equipment shall be tagged so that the equipment will not be returned to service without the authorization of the competent person.

Interpreted Requirements

Templates, Examples

§         Maintenance of Fall Protection and Fall Rescue Equipment:

o         The competent person or competent rescuer, as appropriate, shall verify that the equipment is maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Any maintenance issues that may arise that are not addressed by the manufacturer's instructions shall be addressed with the manufacturer prior to any attempt to perform maintenance.

§         Procedures delineating responsibility for maintenance of equipment shall be incorporated in fall protection procedures and implemented.

§         Manufacturer's instructions and recommendations on the use, inspection, maintenance storage and care of equipment shall be accessible for review by authorized persons who use, inspect, maintain, or store such equipment.

§         Fall protection equipment shall be inspected by the authorized person at least once per eight-hour shift it is used to verify that it has not sustained any wear or damage that would require its removal from service.

Inspecting, Storing, and Maintaining Fall Protection and Rescue Equipment

Interpreted Requirements

Templates, Examples

§         Storage of Fall Protection and Fall Rescue Equipment:

o         Procedures for storage of fall protection and rescue equipment shall be developed, incorporated into fall protection procedures, and implemented in a manner consistent with manufacturer's instructions.

o         Equipment shall be stored in a manner that protects it from exposure to any conditions that could result in damage.

§         Procedures for storage of equipment shall limit access to personnel trained in the proper use of the equipment.