If you or your employees work at height or in confined spaces, safety is essential. Certified fall protection equipment—whether collective or personal—plays a crucial role. At Mennens, we carry out the mandatory inspection and certification, which must be performed at least once every 12 months. In this blog, I share the issues we encounter most often during these inspections, along with practical insights from my own experience.
Mennens is certified to inspect and certify both collective and personal fall protection equipment. In this blog, I focus on personal fall protection equipment, as its use involves greater risks than collective systems. For that reason, proper training in the use of personal fall protection equipment is mandatory.
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Paint Contamination
In our Test & Repair workshop, we regularly receive personal fall protection equipment covered with paint splashes. Safety harnesses and lanyards, for example, are often used by painters. You might not expect it, but paint contamination on personal fall protection equipment always results in the equipment being rejected.
This is due to the chemical properties of paint, which can damage the fibres and materials of the equipment. As an inspection and certification partner, we make no compromises because of the high safety risk if the material has been affected. For that reason, equipment contaminated with paint is always condemned.
While there are specialised items of personal fall protection equipment for certain professions—such as flame-resistant and heat-resistant harnesses for welders—to the best of my knowledge, there are no equivalent products specifically designed for working with paint.
My advice is simple: be extremely careful when working with paint while wearing personal fall protection equipment. Always inspect your equipment for paint contamination before use. If you find paint on it, do not use it. One practical solution is to wear a disposable coverall over your harness, cutting openings only where the attachment points are located. This helps protect the harness from paint. This approach is less practical for connecting devices such as lanyards and self-retracting lifelines.
Cuts and Damage to Webbing
Another issue I encounter regularly is cuts or damage to lanyards and harness webbing. This can happen, for example, when working near sharp edges where the lanyard rubs against the surface. This should always be avoided.
Cuts are extremely dangerous. I often compare it to a cotton handkerchief. It's difficult to tear one apart with your bare hands. But if there's even the smallest cut or nick in the fabric, it tears apart very easily.
The same principle applies to a lanyard or safety harness. The material is extremely strong, but once the edges are damaged, the risk of failure increases significantly. That's why it's essential to carry out a pre-use inspection before every use. Check that all stitching is intact and look carefully for cuts, tears, or other damage. If you notice any damage—no matter how small—stop using the equipment immediately and either discard it or have it inspected by a qualified inspection body.
Self-Retracting Lifelines: Improper Storage
Mennens is accredited by a large number of manufacturers to inspect and certify self-retracting lifelines (SRLs). This is specialist work because there are many different types of SRLs, and each unit must be completely dismantled during inspection.
One of the most common issues we find is dirt and internal corrosion. Many units arrive covered in dust or heavily weathered. They are often stored in industrial or dusty environments—or not stored at all. Sometimes they are even left on rooftops after use.
As a result, dirt accumulates, and corrosion inside the housing can affect the proper functioning of the braking mechanism. Always store a self-retracting lifeline properly after use in a clean, dry environment free from dust and moisture.
The Effects of UV Exposure
Don't underestimate the impact of UV radiation either. We regularly inspect harnesses that have become discoloured and degraded through prolonged exposure to sunlight. Equipment showing this type of UV damage must also be rejected.
Whenever possible, avoid leaving personal fall protection equipment outdoors for extended periods. Likewise, don't leave it exposed to direct sunlight in the boot of your car or the back of a service van for hours at a time. Protect your equipment with a cover or store it together in a suitable equipment bag.
Stay Informed
These are just a few of the issues we regularly encounter during the inspection of personal fall protection equipment. As there is a wide variety of equipment available, it's important to ensure you choose the right solution for your application and receive proper training in its safe use.
More Information
Discover more expert insights on safe working at height and in confined spaces in our knowledge centre. Or contact your nearest Mennens location for more information and professional advice.
