What do you need to know about PPE inspections in scaffolding?

What do you need to know about PPE inspections in scaffolding?

PPE can quickly become a real lifesaver in emergency situations. In our last post on PPE, we summarised for you what you need to consider before using it. Although the use of PPE can help to reduce the number of accidents with serious or even fatal outcomes, it can also involve risks that you should be aware of. In particular, the wear and tear of individual parts can quickly become a safety risk. The good news is that you can prevent this. We explain how to do that here.

Regular inspections of your PPE are mandatory

Checking your PPE before every use is the first important step in ensuring the highest possible level of safety when working at height. You can easily carry out this check yourself. Once a year, you must also have your PPE inspected by an expert as required by law. During this inspection, your PPE is checked for external damage and for proper functioning. You can have this done either by the manufacturer of your safety equipment or by Scafom-rux. Our field staff are certified to carry out an expert inspection of your PPE as well as your height rescue equipment and to certify the result. You can simply send in your safety equipment or our certified inspectors can carry out the inspection directly on your premises. You can then conveniently combine this with one of our height rescue seminars, for example, and get your team’s annual PPE training done at the same time.

What exactly is checked during the annual inspection of your PPE?

The inspection of your PPE includes the following steps:

1. visual inspection for external damage
2. function test
3. check of the period of validity

If your PPE is no longer valid, it is time to invest in a new one. The period of use is limited to 10 years for harnesses, for example. Connecting elements must be replaced after 8 years at the latest. This is due to the plastic components used. If their use otherwise ensure that your safety harness is as light as possible, they can become porous over time - regardless of how high the quality of your PPE is.

If your PPE passes the annual inspection by an expert, you will receive a receipt. This is particularly important because you may only continue to use your equipment with it. By means of the serial number, which every harness has, the test result can always be assigned to the correct harness. You will receive the test data, including the receipt, digitally via our testing platform after the test is completed. This means that not only are all the required documents easily accessible to you while you are on the move, but you will also receive an e-mail reminder 4 weeks before the last examination date expires to renew the examination of your PPE.

Inspection of the height rescue equipment

Height rescue equipment must always be carried if this results from the risk assessment. And it must also be inspected annually. Fortunately, it is not used as often as your PPE. That's why we recommend height rescue equipment stored in vacuum cases. This can be used permanently before the case is opened, without having to undergo a regular check by an expert. You can also carry out the annual inspection for completeness yourself or have it carried out by a person appointed by you.

You can find suitable height rescue equipment and safety harnesses in our accessories overview. For more information on working safely at height, read our blog post on the subject here.