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Regular inspections of fall protection equipment help to keep workers safe. Trained workers should inspect safety equipment for working at height prior to, and after, each use, and give gear a more thorough inspection every three to six months. Find out how to implement digitized checklists and forms for inspecting personal fall arrest systems, harnesses, lanyards and self-retracting lifelines.
Why Use a Fall Protection Inspection Checklist?
Checklists are a good way to remind workers to frequently inspect fall protection equipment. Preparing materials to support several types of inspections can be useful. For increased ease and rates of completion, enterprises should use workflow management software to handle the distribution, submission, approval and storage of proof of inspection.
A pre-use inspection provides workers with the most current indication of the condition of equipment. These inspections tend to take less time than more thorough safety equipment inspections every three to six months.
Safety equipment requiring adjustments, modifications or replacement may also undergo interim inspections. Some types of damage or wear render fall prevention equipment unsafe for further use and necessitate removal and replacement.
What To Include on a Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Form
The information that stakeholders opt to include on a PFAS inspection form should account for every aspect of the level of inspection for which the form is intended. Pre- and post-use inspection forms and checklists that account for safety checks while a job is in progress, or at the end of a work session, can vary based on which measures are necessary for the safe deployment, use and storage of fall protection equipment.
Most inspection forms for fall equipment need to account for a few basic details. Regardless of what type of inspection equipment undergoes, these checklists or forms often include the following fields:
- Inspector identification: Identify who performed the inspection.
- IEquipment data: Note the equipment manufacturer and serial number.
- IEquipment defects: Observe any problems with the equipment.
- IReadiness for service: Indicate whether equipment is ready to use.
This basic data identifies what equipment has been inspected and when, as well as any findings from the inspection. In some cases, early signs of wear may be noted, but equipment can still be safe to use. Post-use and interim inspections are essential for any equipment that requires attention. In most cases, it is better to replace worn equipment than run an elevated risk of accidents.
Regularly Complete a PFAS Inspection Checklist
Workers must complete checklists on a regular basis for these materials to function as effective productivity tools. Creating task flows that reflect internal and external regulatory equipment inspection requirements is the easiest way to ensure that the required inspections take place.
Once an enterprise creates or customizes an inspection form or checklist template, these materials can be distributed through a centralized workflow solution. Fluix is available in computer and mobile versions for office and field teams, providing stakeholders with a powerful toolkit for promoting safety and regulatory fall protection compliance.
A checklist may be a separate document from an inspection form, or these safety documents can coexist in the same digital file. Digital inspection forms often have features such as the ability to identify and address null fields or incomplete forms, which can help to ensure that workers interact with all of the required fields on a checklist or form.
Why Make a Body Harness Inspection Form?
Specialized forms for different types of equipment can account for more detailed and unique inspection requirements. These forms can be particularly helpful for thorough, scheduled inspections that take place every three to six months. Dedicated forms can also be useful in the event of interim inspections of equipment to address known issues.
Safety harnesses have a number of features that merit close inspection prior to using this equipment at height. These features range from the labeling of fall protection equipment to the construction of each piece of equipment and important safety features, such as deceleration units, impact indicators, self-retracting lifelines and sub-pelvic straps.
How To Do a Safety Harness Inspection
It is important to inspect a fall protection harness before and after use. Be sure to check the following components, if applicable, to the harnesses in use:
- Harness hardware: Check buckles, D-rings, hooks, straps, stitching, and webbing.
- Lanyard condition: Twist sections of rope lanyards to identify broken strands.
- SRL housing: Inspect SRL hardware, housing, and swivel and retracting mechanisms.
- Anchorage points: Make sure that any PFAS is ready to be anchored.
There is some variation between the components and features of different brands and types of safety harnesses. Workers should be trained in how to verify the integrity of the type of PFAS that are in use on a worksite.
The forms or checklists that decision-makers tasked with promoting safety make to support use-based and periodic scheduled inspections of fall prevention equipment can be general or customized for particular equipment. The same forms or unique checklists may be used when inspecting harnesses before and after use, or every few months.
PFAS Inspection Checklists Promote Compliance
Making checklists for inspections of fall protection equipment can encourage workers to slow down and pay closer attention to the condition of harnesses, lanyards and other gear used to prevent workers at height from falling. It can be too easy for busy staff of any experience level to overlook safety measures otherwise.
Enterprises where workers regularly complete equipment safety checklists or forms can access continuous, detailed PFAS data, along with important structural updates. If these materials reflect workplace safety protocols set by relevant standards bodies and enforced by national or international regulatory bodies, any documentation workers generate can be processed and stored as proof of regulatory compliance.
Integrate PFAS Inspections Into Workflows
Checklists and forms for fall protection equipment can identify potential issues, such as damaged components or wear. Inspectors should remove equipment with impact indicators exposed to force from service, and should replace this safety equipment. Fluix is a safety management solution that helps stakeholders implement checklists and inspection forms to support more consistent observation of safety compliance measures when working at height.
Ensure Safe Operations When Working at Heights
Easily distribute сhecklists
Avoid equipment misuse
Prevent accidents
