TEAM SAFETY CONSULTANTS LLC

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Regular inspection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for ensuring the safety and health of workers. Over time, PPE can become damaged or worn, reducing its effectiveness. Inspections help identify any defects or wear and ensure that equipment meets safety standards. By prioritizing PPE inspections, companies can prevent workplace injuries, comply with regulations, and maintain a safe working environment for all employees.

Ascender inspections examine the cam mechanism, trigger function, body integrity, connection holes, and rope-diameter compatibility per EN 567 and IRATA standards. Ascenders with worn cams, damaged triggers, or deformed bodies are withdrawn from service and replaced to prevent failure during rope ascent operations.

PPE connector inspections verify gate function, locking mechanism operation, minimum breaking strength markings, and signs of corrosion or deformation per EN 362 and EN 12275. Connectors with gates that do not close and lock automatically, or that show deformation, are immediately condemned and replaced.

Descender inspections assess the friction device, braking mechanism, attachment hole condition, and body integrity per EN 341 and IRATA standards. Devices with worn friction surfaces, seized components, or cracked bodies are immediately removed from service to prevent uncontrolled descent.

Energy absorber inspections verify the deployment indicator, stitching integrity, housing condition, and connecting hardware per EN 355, confirming the device has not been activated by a previous fall event. Deployed or partially deployed absorbers are unconditionally condemned and replaced to ensure full energy dissipation capacity is available.

Fall arrestor inspections examine the locking mechanism speed sensitivity, retraction force, housing integrity, connecting hardware, and lifeline condition per EN 360 and OSHA 1910.140. Devices that fail the locking test, show housing damage, or have been subjected to a fall load event are immediately removed from service.

Full body harness inspections examine all load-bearing webbing for cuts, abrasions, heat damage, chemical attack, and UV degradation, and verify correct buckle function per EN 361 and EN 813. Harnesses that have arrested a fall, exceed their service life, or have any buckle that fails to engage securely are immediately condemned.

Safety helmet inspections check the shell for cracks, dents, and UV degradation, the suspension system for webbing and harness integrity, and the chin strap for secure function per EN 397 and ANSI Z89.1. Helmets that have received an impact, exceeded the manufacturer's service life, or show structural damage are immediately replaced.

Lanyard inspections examine load-bearing webbing or rope for cuts, abrasions, stitching damage, and connector condition per EN 354 and OSHA 1910.140. Any lanyard subjected to a fall arrest load, showing visible core damage, or with connectors failing the gate function test is immediately removed from service and replaced.

Rescue and rigging pulley inspections verify sheave rotation, side plate condition, connection holes, load markings, and bearing function per EN 12278 and IRATA standards. Pulleys with seized bearings, deformed side plates, or worn sheave grooves are withdrawn from service and replaced to ensure safe load running.

Rope adjustment device inspections assess the cam or clamp mechanism, body integrity, connection points, and rope compatibility per EN 12841 and applicable work positioning standards. Devices with worn cams, cracked bodies, or inadequate rope-gripping force are immediately replaced to ensure reliable positioning at height.

Life safety rope inspections examine the full length of core and sheath for cuts, abrasions, contamination, heat damage, and chemical degradation per EN 1891 and IRATA standards. Recorded fall events and years of service are reviewed, and ropes with any disqualifying defect or that have exceeded their service life are unconditionally condemned.

PPE sling inspections check load-bearing webbing or rope for cuts, UV degradation, chemical damage, stitching failure, and connector condition per EN 354 and applicable PPE regulations. Slings showing core damage, broken stitching, or illegible load markings are immediately removed from service and replaced.

Rope grab inspections verify the jaw mechanism, locking function, attachment point integrity, and compatibility with the rope in use per EN 353-1 and EN 353-2. Rope grabs with worn jaw components, damaged locking mechanisms, or missing certification markings are immediately removed from service to ensure reliable fall arrest performance.