Working at Heights – Fall protection – Approvals and Inspections

Fall protection—Approvals and inspections

Explain dangers

When you’re using a travel restraint or fall arrest system, your life depends on your equipment. If it is not certified by a recognized authority or is not properly inspected and maintained, you risk injury and death.

Identify controls

APPROVALS
Safety harnesses must be approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Look for the CSA logo on your harness.
Also look for the CSA logo on lanyards, energy absorbers, lifelines and rope grabs. The logo means that the equipment has been manufactured to meet the requirements of a national standard.

INSPECTIONS
Inspect your fall protection equipment before each use and remove any components from service if their integrity is in doubt. Store your fall
protection equipment so that it’s well protected from the weather.
A worker who is competent in inspection should perform an annual inspection of the fall protection equipment and document the results.

If any part of a fall protection system has been used to arrest a fall, it must be discarded or removed from service until the manufacturer
certifies that all components are safe for reuse.

Demonstrate

With your crew, inspect the components of a fall arrest system used on your site.
HARNESS
• Inspect hardware and straps to ensure that they are intact and undamaged.
• Check that moving parts work freely through their full range of motion.
• Check that webbing is free of burns, cuts, loose or broken stitching, frayed material, and signs of heat or chemical damage.
• Make sure that the fall arrest indicator has not deployed.
LANYARD
• Make sure the lanyard fastens securely to the D-ring on the harness.
• Inspect the lanyard for fraying, kinking, and loose or broken stitching.
• Look for rust, cracks, and damage to the lanyard hardware.
• Inspect energy-absorbing lanyards regularly. Look for stress or tearing on the cover jacket of the energy absorber.

LIFELINE
• Inspect fibre rope lifelines for fraying, burns, kinking, cuts, and signs of wear and tear.
• Check retractable lifelines to ensure they operate smoothly. Pull out the line and jerk it suddenly. The braking action should be immediate and tight.
ROPE GRAB
• Look for damage, cracking, dents, bends, or signs of deformation.
• Check that connecting rings are centred—not bent to one side or otherwise deformed.
• Check for rust or sharp edges, signs of wear or metal fatigue. and moving parts that don’t work smoothly.

For more information, visit the IHSA website.