Fall Protection Equipment is used by several different service personnel in estates, both residential and commercial. These include painters, window glaziers, welders, and plumbers, to mention a few. Fall protection equipment is one of the necessities when it comes to working at lofty heights. And just like other industrial equipment, it requires regular maintenance checks. Fall protection equipment inspection usually entails certain red flags that you must look out for. This is because a piece of equipment that has not been inspected properly can lead to dangerous disaster and catastrophe. Here are the top five signs that you need to update and change your Fall Protection gear at the earliest.

Is Your Harness Deformed or Worn?

Harnesses are the most critical components in any fall protection gear. As a result, they need to be checked regularly before usage. The primary thing to look out for in fall protection equipment inspection, is whether your harness is cracked or deformed. Most leather harnesses crack after repeated application of the worker’s body weight. Deformation in the same can also be a tell-tale sign that the equipment is unfit for use.

If the harness is to be secured with a belt, spare a glance at the belt holes' condition. In regular usage, it is customary to find that the holes have worn out from the repeated application of load on them. These holes are pretty much the only thing that stops the belt from slipping out of the buckle, making you plummet from dangerous heights.

The webbing around the harness might be stiff or burnt and might tear off when you are high in the air. This is a hazardous prospect for personnel working in skyscrapers and high-rise complexes.

Safety Lanyards must be Scrutinized in Details

The lanyard is the next detail that you should go for in fall protection equipment inspection. The locking mechanisms are to be the priority during detailed scrutiny. If the lock fails to engage properly, it is a sign that your equipment is hugely unsafe. Besides, locking mechanisms might be twisted or deformed due to the daily application of high levels of stress on them. Unlocking and re-locking a lanyard during fall protection equipment inspection will prove the efficacy of the mechanism.

In addition to the locking mechanism, the shock absorption module is of particular interest. Cracks, tears or holes on the surface are the usual red flags. Apart from this, you must also check whether the shock absorber has already been deployed during its usage. Once deployed, it should be put out of commission immediately. Being 50 feet up in the air, and finding that your shock absorber has snapped or broken, might be the last thing you ever experience.

Anchorage and Self-retracting lifelines

Self-retracting lifelines are shock-absorption lines that reel you back up in case you fall. Consequently, regular maintenance checks are an absolute necessity for fall protection equipment inspection. Things that you should check include the functionality of the swivel-and-retraction mechanism under high levels of load. It also includes checking whether the module is intact or not. Cracks and broken parts might be an indicator of a dysfunctional component.

Lastly, inspecting the anchor point is an essentiality that you should never forget. The anchor point needs to be exceptionally rigid and deep-seated to ensure that it can take different levels of shock effectively without breaking. The rope used for suspension should also be inspected and scrutinized closely to monitor whether it has been damaged on any occasion. The best Protection equipment can fail due to an anchoring rope that snaps under heavy load conditions.

Overall, fall protection gear is a requirement for any job that is to be done at incredible heights. For this, regular and responsible fall protection equipment inspection is never to be avoided. We hope that these few tips help you in refurbishing and replacing faulty equipment in your arsenal.