When To Hire Professional For Fall Protection Equipment Inspection?

 

Businesses, particularly those where workers have to work at heights do understand how crucial an effective fall protection system (FPS) can be. However, simply installing the system will not guarantee the expected results, unless you perform a detailed inspection every now and then. There are different aspects that the inspectors check with regard to fall protection, and some of these include:

• The power-elevating work platform and its durability

• Horizontal and vertical lifeline as far as protection system is concerned

• The use of guardrails, scaffoldings, and lanyards

• Rope grab is also there to be included as part of the system

What is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Guideline for this?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) comprehends the fact that for maintaining performance and service life, harnesses and belts have to be inspected periodically. This is because fall protection equipment inspection is:

• Essential to remain in compliance with the health and safety standards of OSHA and ANSI

• It helps you evaluate the present condition of the equipment, as life is dependent on it.

• Creates a vital and healthy safety culture, promoting a productive workplace environment.

How Reliable Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Can Help?

Inspection is inevitable when it comes to a well-maintained fall protection system. Most professionals follow a systematic approach for analyzing each and every detail of the equipment so that nothing escapes from their eyes. A usual fall protection system inspection consists of five different stages and these are:

• The first stage is to check the hardware. Here, professionals inspect snaps, rivets, metals, and dees. Is something missing, or has a section corroded? Only well-functioning parts will be acceptable for the FPS.

• In the second stage, the professionals emphasize on materials such as ropes and webbing. These are checked for cuts, abrasion, wear, broken threads or fading due to UV rays. In addition to this, chemical damage also discolors the synthetic materials, which should be replaced with a new ones.

• In the third stage of fall protection system inspection, the stitching of the system is checked so as to make sure that it is safe for use.

• In the fourth stage, the tags and labels are examined. Are the different labels in place and are they readable? If they are not, then you should not use them. In fact, every word mentioned in the label has to be readable to the user.

• Even the stitching is inspected. The entire system is inspected for pulled or cut stitches. Also, the fall protection experts inspect the labels and check that all the labels are securely held in place. Also, the durability is checked.

• In the last stage, the design and function of the equipment is inspected. Here, the professional will analyze whether the equipment will perform the way it is designed for preventing a fall or not.

Who Decides When To Remove FPA Equipment From Service?

Only professionals after a thorough fall protection equipment inspection can determine if the equipment should be removed or not. In most of cases, a quick fix is more than enough to achieve the desired outcome. Why Presence of A Competent Professional Matter?

Any equipment that is part of the FPS should undergo fall protection equipment inspection by a competent professional. This is because only diligent ones can identify the existing or predictable hazards in working conditions or surroundings that can potentially affect the employees.

When confused with the idea of inspecting a fall protection system then consult with a reputable professional and hire them for fall protection equipment inspection whenever required, as the system has to be inspected frequently.