What it is
Personal protective equipment used for fall arrest, work restraint, or rope access is subject to a periodic examination by a competent person at least every twelve months under BS EN 365. This applies to every harness, lanyard, energy absorber, fall arrester, connector, helmet (where used for fall protection), and rescue kit item in service.
Detailed inspections are expected to be carried out every 12 months as a minimum legal requirement under BS EN 365:2004. However, the recommended guidance under BS 8437:2005 and INDG367 suggests that inspection intervals do not exceed 6 months — or 3 months when the equipment is used in arduous conditions such as demolition, steel erection, scaffolding, and work on steel masts or towers with sharp edges. Where any of these duty profiles apply, we’ll set the recurring inspection cycle accordingly and flag it on the certificate.
A PPE compliance inspection identifies any item that has reached the end of its service life, has been damaged, has been used in a fall arrest event, or has reached the manufacturer’s withdrawal date. Each item is individually inspected, recorded in a register, and either passed (with a certificate valid for twelve months) or withdrawn from service.
PPE compliance often fails not because the kit is in poor condition, but because there is no records system showing which items belong to which user, what their service date is, and when they were last inspected. We build the records system at the same time as inspecting the kit, so the next twelve-month cycle is straightforward.
When it applies
- Annual periodic examination, mandatory under BS EN 365
- After any fall arrest event involving any item
- On purchase of new kit (the manufacturer’s date of first use must be recorded)
- When a harness or lanyard reaches the manufacturer’s stated withdrawal date
- When PPE inventory has accumulated without a records system
The process
- Inventory. Every item of fall protection PPE on site documented and recorded.
- Visual inspection. Each item inspected against BS EN 365 and the manufacturer’s inspection criteria.
- Function check. Buckles, connectors, energy absorbers, and rope grabs tested for correct operation.
- Records update. Inspection register updated for each item, with user assignment where applicable.
- Certification. Compliant items receive an inspection sticker and a 12-month certificate. Withdrawn items removed from service and recorded.
What you receive
- Inspection certificate to BS EN 365 per item
- Updated PPE register with user assignment and service history
- Photographic record of any defective or withdrawn items
- Withdrawal record for items at end of service life
- Replacement quotation for any withdrawn kit
- 12-month recertification reminder