The importance of competent recertification
June 30th 2009 Companies have a legal obligation to ensure that work equipment is safe to use at all times. This is essential when it comes to fall protection equipment as faulty equipment could quite easily result in serious injury or even death.
Once work at height equipment has been installed it must be properly maintained and examined at least once a year as outlined in BS EN 365:2004 and BS EN 7883:2005. When arranging for equipment to be examined and recertified it is vital that the person doing the work has adequate knowledge of the equipment and is competent to assess the risks. All too often we come across equipment that has been passed by third parties, such as for insurance purposes, that is clearly unsafe to use.
For example, brackets on a lifeline system can become loose or even be fitted incorrectly and the system’s shock absorbers be deployed. Guardrails can often be removed by third parties while they are installing new equipment or have additional equipment attached to it. If not identified during recertification, these faults will have a serious impact on the system’s performance.
In some cases PPE is required for use with the fall protection. If PPE has been deployed, shows signs of wear and tear, UV degradation or is out of date, it must be withdrawn immediately. Where more than one piece of PPE is being used, it is essential that the different items are compatible. Over the years we have inspected combinations of PPE which would undoubtedly have caused severe injury to the user if they had fallen from a building.
If an accident occurs and it is found that the equipment is faulty then your company can be held accountable so it is crucial to ensure equipment is inspected at least annually by a competent person. More articles from Safesite Limited: | 
