Height safety and fall protection equipment requires regular inspections and servicing
| ALL HEIGHT SAFETY AND FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT MUST BE INSPECTED BY A COMPETENT PERSON ON A REGULAR BASIS AS REQUIRED BY THE AS/NZS 1891.4 STANDARD: | ||
| ITEM | INSPECTION FREQUENCY (NOTE 1) | REFERENCE |
| Personal equipment including harnesses, lanyards, connectors, fall-arrest devices including common use devices | Inspection by a Height Safety Operator and/or Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 2) before and after each use. | Clause 9.2 |
| Harnesses, lanyards, associated personnel equipment | 6-monthly inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 3). | Clause 9.3.2 |
|
Fall-arrest devices (external inspection only) |
6-monthly inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 3). | Clause 9.3.4(a) |
| 6-monthly inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 3). |
Clause 9.7 |
|
| Anchorages—drilled-in type or attached to timber frames | 12-monthly inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 3). | Clause 9.3.3 |
|
Anchorages—other types |
Up to 5-yearly inspection if recommended by the manufacturer. 12 monthly inspection is recommended by Austlift. |
Clause 9.3.3 |
|
Fall-arrest devices—full service |
Up to 5-yearly service if recommended by the manufacturer. Austlift recommends: Type 1 – yearly, sealed type 2 and type 3 – 2 yearly, unsealed type 2 and type 3 – yearly. | Clause 9.3.4(b) |
| Horizontal and vertical lifelines: Steel rope or rail (Ladder Safety Systems) | Austlift recommends: 5-yearly inspection for systems installed by a Austlift accredited installer, all other systems – yearly. | Clause 9.3.5 |
| Horizontal or vertical lifelines: Fibre rope, Webbing | 6-monthly inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector (Note 3). |
Clauses 9.3.5 & 9.7 |
| All items of personal and common use equipment | Inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector on entry or re-entry into service. | Clause 9.4 |
| All items which have been stressed as a result of a fall | Inspection by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector before further use (Note 3). | Clause 9.5 |
| NOTES: 1. Manufacturer’s or supplier’s recommendations where provided, take precedence over the frequencies listed. Where used in harsh conditions, more frequent inspection may be required. 2. If the user or operator of the equipment is not competent to carry out this inspection it is to be undertaken by another person who is competent, see Clause 9.2. 3. All inspections other than those by the operator are to be documented. | ||
Equipment Maintenance
- Clean equipment regularly following the manufacturer’s instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight
- Protect from sharp edges, abrasion, corrosive substances or other possible causes of damage
- Do not subject to excessive heat, humidity or moisture
- Do not store under strain or pressure
Removal of equipment from service
- Six monthly service and/or periodical inspection is due
- It has been involved in a fall
- Labels have been removed, are missing or illegible
- Excessive abrasive wear (furry or frayed surfaces) has occurred
- Broken fibres, tears, cuts, snags and splinters are present
- Weld burns are present
- Deterioration or stretching has occurred
- Loss of resilience, discolouration or visible damage is experienced
- Parts and mechanisms are not moving freely or are corroded
- There is reduction in cross-section of rope area or webbing
- There is excessive contamination not removed by approved cleaning methods
It is more than 10 years old for AS/NZS certified products
Terminology
|
COMPETENT PERSON |
A ‘Competent Person’ is defined under AS/ NZS1891.4 as “A person who has, through a combination of training, qualification and experience, acquired knowledge and skills enabling that person to perform a specified task”. |
|
HEIGHT SAFETY OPERATOR |
A person who is able to perform harness based work at heights under the direct supervision of a height safety supervisor. |
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HEIGHT SAFETY EQUIPMENT INSPECTOR |
A person who is competent in the skills needed to detect faults in height safety equipment and to determine remedial action. |
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HEIGHT SAFETY SUPERVISOR |
A person who is competent in the skills needed to perform harness based work at heights, to supervise other operators including those at entry level and to participate in first response rescue. |
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FALL DISTANCE AND WORKING SLACK |
There is no such thing as a safe fall distance. This is regardless of the situation you are in or the equipment you are using. The further you fall, the faster you accelerate and the higher the total force required to be absorbed when you suddenly stop. |
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SECONDARY SYSTEM |
Austlift promotes the use of primary and secondary “back-up” systems in both fall arrest and twin rope access situations. Consider your specific requirements when reviewing equipment needs and safety working procedures. |
